Taking a look at why the performance of the running back room will have a major role in how the Houston Texans perform in 2026.
The Houston Texans have become a consistent contender for the AFC, but they have been unable to break through under head coach DeMeco Ryans just yet.
While Ryans has built a dominant defense, the offense has struggled at times to consistently move the ball which is a key reason why this team has not been able to get over the hump just yet.
Talking about the offense, quarterback C.J. Stroud has struggled with ball security and overall consistency at times, which is something that he needs to improve heading into 2026.
On that note, the Texans have to find a way to put Stroud in a good position to be able to process the defense and make good decisions as well as open up easy throws and one of the best ways to do that is utilizing the running back room and establishing the ground game.
Through using the ground game a lot more, Houston should be able to get into more manageable situations offensively, which should help Stroud to be more comfortable and allow this offense to extend drives.
In the running back room, the Texans have a solid duo with David Montgomery and Woody Marks. Marks returns to Houston following a good showing in 2025, while Montgomery comes in after being acquired via trade from the Detroit Lions.
Montgomery and Marks should both make key contributions in this offense during the 2026 season, so let's take a look at how they each played in 2025 and consider what they could do in 2026.
Starting with Montgomery, he split carries with Jahmyr Gibbs with the Lions last season, but even so, he was very effective, especially on the goal line and in short-yardage situations. During the 2025 season, Montgomery totaled 158 carries for 716 yards, eight touchdowns, and 41 first downs while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
So, when looking at Montgomery's performance in 2025 it is clear that he was able to be very effective in a role where he split carries with Gibbs and as he begins the 2026 season with Houston he may be doing a very similar thing with Marks.
Now shifting to Marks, he also split carries last season as he and Nick Chubb were the top options out of the backfield for Houston. Marks was solid in his rookie season for the Texans, and as he enters his sophomore season, he should be even better. In Marks's 2025 campaign, he tallied 196 carries for 703 yards, two touchdowns, 39 first downs, and averaged 3.6 yards per carry.
For Marks, his rookie season was definitely productive, but being the lead part of a duo is a tough task for a rookie and despite that he was effective and someone the Texans were able to rely throughout the season. As Marks prepares for his second NFL season he should have a much better idea of how to be effective and should be able to learn a lot from a veteran like Montgomery as well.
Overall, the running back duo of Montgomery and Marks looks very promising and should be able to open up the field a lot for Stroud and the Texans' passing game.
The main reason the performance of Montgomery and Marks is so important is if they are effective and can consistently gain yards, opposing defenses will be forced to put more defenders closer to the line of scrimmage which will then give Stroud more opening down the field to get the ball to Nico Collins, Kayshon Boutte, and Dalton Schultz.
If Stroud can get the ball out and get more easy completions that should give more confidence and the opportunity to make steady progression throughout the season and be ready to play his best when the playoffs do arrive which could help Houston to put themselves over the top.
So, heading into the 2026 season, if the running back duo of Montgomery and Marks can be effective, that could give Stroud the ability to become a lot more confident and accurate, which may be exactly what Houston needs to get over the top and make a push for the first AFC Championship Game appearance in franchise history.
