The Houston Texans have gotten off to a 0-3 start, and one of the first changes could be with veteran running back and starter David Montgomery.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano noted that the Texans could “possibly” get Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins and left guard and fellow starter Ed Ingram back as early as Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys at home.
But the Texans’ 30th-ranked run game remains a concern.
“Houston continues to look for answers in the run game. My sense of it is still that they’ll give more work to Woody Marks, as he has generally been running better and looking more explosive than offseason addition David Montgomery,” Graziano wrote on September 30.
“Houston has long believed a more reliable run game would be the best way to protect and support C.J. Stroud. They just haven’t been able to assemble one.”
The Texans also signed Dare Ogunbowale off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad.
However, Graziano noted that the veteran scat back is “there to help their special teams and be a blocker in the passing game, not a ball carrier,” though he has shown well when called upon for spot duties.
The biggest takeaway, though, is that the Texans’ plans for an improved run game have so far fallen through for a second straight season.
David Montgomery Gets Insider Note on Texans’ Potential Plans for Woody Marks
The Texans acquired Montgomery in a trade with the Detroit Lions this offseason. He was billed as a three-down option. However, Montgomery was the power back in a tandem with Jahmyr Gibbs for the past three years.
Through three weeks, Montgomery has 103 yards on 37 rushing attempts.
His 2.8 yards per carry are the fewest among all players with at least as many carries so far in the 2026 season, per Stathead.
This would conversely be good news for the Marks. A shift may not yield the desired results on the ground, though. Marks is averaging 3.0 yards per carry, with 65 yards and 1 touchdown (to Montgomery’s 2 TDs) on 22 totes.
Perhaps surprisingly, Montgomery has also outproduced Marks as a receiver.
Montgomery has seven receptions for 48 yards and 1 TD. Marks has a 7-31-0 line as a pass-catcher, even drawing one more target than his teammate.
“I got the sense talking with people that the Texans wanted to be a team that ran the ball a ton, didn’t turn it over and let its defense win games,” The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander wrote on September 30 in his mailbag.
That was in response to a question about the Texans’ offense under coordinator Nick Caley.
It sounds as though Caley and the Texans are also searching for answers. Their offseason plans at running back and along the offensive line have contributed heavily to the slow start.
This time last year, the Texans were going through a similar experience with Nick Chubb. He was only in the role Montgomery finds himself in now due to the mysterious injury to Pro Bowler Joe Mixon. Chubb, a Pro Bowler himself, looked nothing like his prime after years of injuries.
Chubb retired this year, returning to the Cleveland Browns to do so. Marks was also ineffective as a runner as a rookie. The Texans cut Mixon this offseason and acquired Montgomery.
Unfortunately for the Texans, the more they change, the more they have stayed the same.
Houston Texans Expected to Change Plans With David Montgomery