Texans RB Aims to Bring Jahmyr Gibbs-Like Energy to Houston

It looks like Woody Marks is pumped about the Houston Texans' recent deal to pick up David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions.

Just a week away from the NFL free agency market opening up, the Texans decided to make a big splash for their running back room to add in Montgomery in exchange for Juice Scruggs, along with a fourth and a seventh round pick that should allow Houston to have a qualiy one-two punch between him and second-year runner Woody Marks for the 2026 campaign.

And when asking Marks about the fit he and his new partner in the backfield could have, he's ready to have the same type of fun Montgomery had in Detroit's running back room with Jahmyr Gibbs.

'I’m very excited,” Marks said of the trade in an interview with KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson. “Just looking back at the clips with him and Jahmyr Gibbs, it looked like they was having so much fun out there. When the running back room doing good and everybody blocking, it’s a party in the running back room."

"So, we’re looking to have that same joy him and Jahmyr Gibbs had bringing it down here in Houston."

Woody Marks Very Excited for David Montgomery Addition

It's going to be pretty tough for Marks to replicate the same type of production that Gibbs did this past season in Detroit, considering the third-year runner had nearly 2,000 all purpose yards along with 18 touchdowns this past season.

However, there are some similarities in the role that both he and Marks can have in their respective offenses when paired next to David Montgomery that can help this Texans rushing offense get a bit further off the ground than it did in 2025.

Montgomery fills in as a reliable power back that has a bit better size than Marks has at 5-foot-11, 230 pounds, that can make him a consistent chain mover and a nice presence at the goal line. While for Marks, he can be a speedy home-run hitter that can create explosive plays both on the ground and in the receiving game that adds some additional versatility to this Texans offense.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) celebrates a touchdown against Minnesota Vikings with running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, November 2, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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It's a dynamic duo that the Texans didn't really have at their disposal last season. Without Joe Mixon for the year, who was sidelined with a season-ending foot injury, it was Marks and Nick Chubb who led to Houston being one of just five teams averaging less than 3.9 yards per carry on the season and tied for the second-lowest total rushing touchdowns on the year as well.

Now, the Texans have invested in Montgomery to ensure that same result doesn't happen again, and as long as the right tweaks are made on the offensive line heading deeper into the offseason, this rushing offense should be looking much improved for the 2026 campaign on the horizon.