Texans RB Woody Marks Surprisingly Critical of His Rookie Season

By most's standards, Houston Texans running back Woody Marks had a pretty strong debut season upon arriving to the scene in 2025.

Coming out as a fourth-round selection from USC, Marks stepped into a big role for this Texans offense pretty immediately after a season-ending injury would take Joe Mixon out of the lineup, forcing Houston's rookie runner and veteran Nick Chubb to handle a majority of carries in the backfield.

Considering the circumstances, Marks did quite alright for a day three pick in his first year. He logged 220 touches in both the backfield and as a receiver for a total of 911 yards from scrimmage (51st in the NFL) and five touchdowns as the Texans' eventual lead running back in the room.

But it seems like for Marks, this past season wasn't quite as strong as he would've hoped.

Marks recently spoke to Big Sarge Media during a community bowling event earlier this week to discuss some of his offseason and how he felt about his rookie season with Houston, and surprisingly wasn't too satisfied with his output in 2025.

"I've got a lot of growth to do in my second year," Marks said. "I would say my first year was a little mediocre to me. I've been working on a ton of things. Me and [David Montgomery] have been in the lab, and the other running backs... We've all just been linking up, and we've been working."

“Me and D-Mont (David Montgomery) have been in the lab,” said Texans running back Woody Marks to Big Sarge Media about the preparation for his second season. #Texans #Sarge @JoquaviousMarks pic.twitter.com/1BnFur8ICy
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) May 18, 2026

Woody Marks Hungry for Stronger Second Season

Perhaps it's a little too self critical for Marks to expect more of himself in just his first year in the mix.

Among the top rookies ranking top 10 at the end of the year in yards from scrimmage, only three of them were selected outside of the first two days of the draft: Marks, Kyle Monangai, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. So it's was a rare class for the Texans runner to find himself in.

But clearly, Marks sees a lot more that could be on the table for him in 2026. That's good news for the Texans, who are looking for a step forward in their overall running production after going all last year without their regular starter, Joe Mixon.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) and wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) celebrate a touchdown during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Texans showcased their desire to improve in the run game when they decided to invest in their backfield this offseason by trading for David Montgomery with the Detroit Lions.

Montgomery's addition could ultimately take some of the snaps and opportunities out of Marks hands, but that certainly doesn't mean he'll be phased out of the game plan after the rookie year he just had.

More than anything, it feels like Marks will be taking on a further role in the passing game as opposed to handling a bulk of the carries in the backfield.

How Woody Marks Can Evolve Alongside David Montgomery

Last season, Marks' 24 total receptions averaged out to less than two catches a game, which is really underutilizing his explosiveness to be a receiver and use his electric speed to make plays from outside of the backfield.

Marks' positive presence as a blocker can also help him find ways to get on the field more frequently on pass plays if the Texans can rely on him making an impact in more ways than one, and without having the ball in his hands.

Woody Marks does it all. pic.twitter.com/9yPhp6EmYm
— Jared Koch (@jjaredkoch) September 28, 2025

And now with Montgomery in the fold, the Texans can have the freedom to open up his responsibility as a pass-catcher, while his veteran counterpart can handle a bulk of the workload in between the tackles to be the bruiser and powerful runner that Houston tried to squeeze out of Chubb last year.

If his fit pans out as expected, this Texans' run game will improve for the benefit of all involved; even in the case of Marks, even if he's not logging the same 12 carries a game like he did in 2025.

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