Texans’ Woody Marks on David Montgomery trade: ‘Love him as a back, looking to have same joy him and Jahmyr Gibbs had’

HOUSTON – During the Texans’ road trip to Detroit for a joint practice and preseason game with the Lions, Woody Marks was focused on his job during his first NFL preseason.

He still couldn’t help but notice the obvious energy, skill and intensity of the Lions’ offensive backfield headlined by running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Now, Marks is teaming up with Montgomery after a roster-shaking trade as he joined the Texans in exchange for fourth-round and seventh-round draft selections and offensive guard Juice Scruggs.

The tandem that Gibbs, nicknamed ‘Sonic,’ for his dynamic running, and Montgomery, known as ‘Knuckles,’ for his punishing running style, is something for Marks to emulate.

“I’m very excited,” Marks told KPRC 2. “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.”

The arrival of Montgomery as the lead running back and primary replacement for injured former Pro Bowl selection Joe Mixon, who is expected to be released for a savings of $8 million, should allow Marks to stay fresh in a complementary role.

A fourth-round draft pick from USC who was a prolific pass-catching presence there and at Mississippi State, Marks rushed for a team-high 703 yards on 196 carries last season after taking over the starting job from five-time Pro Bowl selection Nick Chubb. He rushed for a season-high 112 yards and a touchdown run in an AFC wild-card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Montgomery, a 716-yard, eight-touchdown rusher last season for the Lions working behind Gibbs, became unhappy with his reduced role. Montgomery is excited about the move to Houston, per multiple league sources.

The emergence of Gibbs led to a reduced workload for Montgomery, who had 158 carries last season. A former Chicago Bears third-round draft pick, Montgomery has rushed for 6,115 career yards and 59 touchdowns. He rushed for 1,015 yards and 13 touchdowns his first season in Detroit in 2023 and 775 yards and 12 touchdowns two seasons ago. His career-high for rushing yards is 1,070 yards in 2020 in Chicago, his second season in the league.

Montgomery finished his Lions career with 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in three seasons. He had 1,015 yards, the second most of his career, in 2023.

Montgomery rushed for 4.5 yards per carry last season and has averaged 4.1 yards per run for his career. The Texans’ running game ranked 22nd overall, 3.9 yards per carry, 29th in the NFL, and 31st with nine touchdown runs. They badly needed reinforcements. Montgomery provides that anchor for their running game.

“Love him as a back, watched him a couple times, him and Jahmyr Gibbs, see how they complement each other,” Marks said. “We reached out to each other already, just time to get to work. Having another back in the backfield is always good. There’s less I can take off of my body and there’s less he can take off his body, and we’re just ready to get to work.”

Montgomery, 29, is due a nonguaranteed $5.49 million base salary this year and $7.49 million in 2027 with void years in 2028 and 2029. Plus, $1.75 million of his 2026 salary becomes fully guaranteed the third day of the league year. The contract isn’t expected to be immediately addressed, but is likely to be adjusted at some point, per league sources.

Marks is entering the second year of his rookie deal. He caught 24 passes for 208 yards and three touchdowns last season. Marks plans to get down in weight from 215 pounds to lean up and be even quicker.

“We both can do the same things, he’s obviously a little bigger back,” said Marks, who has been training with the Texans’ strength and conditioning coaches. “I slimmed down a little bit from 215, 216. I want to play at like 208, so we’ll be alright. I’m very excited,”

Montgomery played in every game last season. He caught 24 passes for 192 yards on 29 targets. He has 231 career receptions for 1,890 yards and four touchdowns.

“This guy,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the NFL scouting combine prior to the trade. “He’s a heck of a back.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.c

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com