The Houston Texans finally had David Montgomery present for a practice session on Thursday. Montgomery’s participation level remains the key, but the Texans also notably did not have Woody Marks on the field, raising eyebrows.
“#Texans running backs Woody Marks dealt with mild knee discomfort Wednesday in practice and didn’t finish practice for precautionary reasons, per league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on November 12. “Not practicing so far today. Team taking wait-and-see approach on his status.”
The news on Marks makes Montgomery’s status paramount for the Texans.
The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander responded to a question about Marks’ status, saying that his absence was “obviously is not a good sign,” adding, “But we’ll see.”
Marks, a fourth-round pick of the 2025 draft, has appeared in all eight of the Texans’ games this season. He missed one game as a rookie due to an ankle injury. If Marks cannot go, the Texans will be woefully thin at running back in Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns.
They have veterans Dare Ogunbowale and Emari Demarcado on the 53-man roster.
The Texans also have undrafted rookie free agent Josh Pitsenberger on the practice squad, but the situation is near-dire for a team that cannot afford to drop any more games this season.
Even if Montgomery returns, he will be unlikely to handle a full workload after an extended layoff–he has been sidelined since Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans–with such a notoriously tricky injury.
Texans Get More Bad News as David Montgomery Spotted at Practice
The Texans’ backfield is not the only position in flux, with Wilson reporting in a separate post, “#Texans Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair misses second consecutive practice for groin injury, and was listed on injury report additionally with non-football, personal reason designation.”
Al-Shaair missed time earlier this season with the groin issue, but he was able to finish the Texans’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9.
The Texans’ defense has had some rough outings, and the lack of a ground game looms large.
I’d bet Texans will to try and establish the run.
Another thing, they’re actually making some progress running the ball in last 3 games.
However, quarterback C.J. Stroud could see an offensive line that has been inconsistent shuffled once again, as starting left guard Keylan Rutledge also missed his second consecutive practice due to a stinger.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was noncommittal about Montgomery’s and Rutledge’s respective statuses for Sunday.
The good news is that the Texans have depth on the interior.
They signed Pro Bowler Wyatt Teller, a former Brown, in free agency this past offseason. He did not beat out Rutledge for the starting job. Still, he is a better alternative than many other teams face in similar situations.
Houston Texans Facing New Concern Amid David Montgomery News