HOUSTON – David Montgomery busted through the line of scrimmage, his momentum and acceleration carrying him past the defense.
Although there’s no contact during the Texans’ practices until training camp, the violence behind his shoulder pads is unmistakable. Montgomery is a downhill, punishing running back who thrives on running through tacklers. Although Montgomery is known for his ability to lower the boom, he’s already showing his wiggle in the open field with the Texans following an offseason trade from the Detroit Lions.
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As the Texans’ new RB1 who signed a two-year, $16.5 million contract after joining a returning playoff squad, Montgomery is slated for a heavy workload that includes pass-catching duties as he works in tandem with talented backup Woody Marks.
This is a featured role for Montgomery after complementing Lions star Jahmyr Gibbs and, ultimately, leaving Detroit as his carries and touches declined annually.
“He’s a three-down back,” Texans running backs coach and assistant head coach Danny Barrett told KPRC 2. “He can do it all. It first starts with his mentality. He comes to work every day, same guy every day. How can I get better? The first meeting we had, we talked about how can we get better. He wants to be the best.
“Leave a mark on the game, but also helping the young guys develop that mindset. He’s going to finish every run. He’s going to finish every block. And it’s just that type of mentality that he’s brought to our room that’s going to carry us to the next level with the talent that we have.”
Montgomery, a 716-yard, eight-touchdown rusher on 158 carries last season for the Lions, had wanted to be traded to have an expanded role. Montgomery is a bruising, tackle-breaking 5-foot-11, 230-pounder who can run inside and outside effectively. His nickname in Detroit: “Knuckles.”
The Texans traded for Montgomery in exchange for offensive guard Juice Scruggs, a fourth-round selection and a seventh-round pick.
His reputation preceded him with Barrett. He’s been watching Montgomery for a long time, and he did his homework talking with Lions staff after the trade was finalized.
“Watching film, you study guys and hear there may be an opportunity,” Barrett said when asked to recall his reaction to the percolating trade discussions led by general manager Nick Caserio. “And I was already prepared. Once the trade went down, you quit looking at other people. You focus on the guy that’s coming in here. I was already for him when he walked into the door.
“I put in a call to his former coach: ‘Give me the game plan. Give me the Cliff notes, what I need to know.’ He said, ‘Coach, what you see on film, you already know. And the same guy on film is going to be the same guy every day at practice. Not only from his coach, but we also had a former strength and conditioning coach that left and went to join them. He called. Same deal.”
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.
The Texans plan to run the football, a lot, as coach DeMeco Ryans and other staffers have repeatedly emphasized.
“He loves football, he’s very serious, he’s a true pro,” Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley said. “I’ve admired him for a long time, dating back to when he was at Iowa State. He’s a Cincinnati guy. He’s tough. He embodies everything we want here with our team and with our offense. I’m really, really happy that he’s a part of our team. He’s made an impact. You can feel him. He goes about his business the right way every single day. He’s been great. Really, really happy he’s been an addition to our team.”
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.
“He’s all-day tough,” Caley said. “His body of work will speak for itself. Runs behind his pads, stays grounded. Arm tackles aren’t getting it done. He’s going to try to run through you every single chance. He can sets guys up. He understands how to set blocks and to deliver and help deliver defenders to the blocker.
“You look at his pass game production, he’s just got a really good feel. He’s refined. He takes a lot of pride in his route running. He brings a lot. That’s one of the many reasons I’m really excited about him.”
The Texans made a significant financial commitment to Montgomery that included a $6.5 million signing bonus. The revised deal has a $1.5 million base salary this year that is fully guaranteed and up to $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses. His first-year payout is up to $8.5 million.
Next year, he is due a $7.5 million salary with $2 million of it guaranteed and a total of $500,000 in per game active roster bonuses.
Montgomery, 28, was previously due a nonguaranteed $5.49 million base salary this year and $7.49 million in 2027 with void years in 2028 and 2029.
“Houston was definitely the place that I wanted to go,” Montgomery said. “I was in Detroit, a very successful organization, and I practiced against Houston a couple of times and they’ve always been the hardest team to practice against.
“So, you can tell the morale, the mentality that coach Ryans brings to the table too. You also get to look at yourself like, ‘Dang, if I ever had an opportunity, I would love to play for a guy like that.’ Look, I’m here now getting to play under a guy like that, and I want to come in and show these guys that I could hang with the big dogs.”
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.
Now that Montgomery a Texans, Lions coach Dan Campbell predicts he’ll be a hit in Houston.
“I love David Montgomery,” Campbell told KPRC 2 at the annual NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. “He’s a stud. He’s unbelievable. We had a conversation and felt like this was something that was going to be good for both sides. This gave David an opportunity to be the bell-cow and we got some value back
“I love David. He’s a freaking pro, man. He is unbelievable. So, he will be missed, but I think the Houston Texans are going to be very happy with the back they just got. I think he makes them better.”
During the Texans’ road trip to Detroit for a joint practice and preseason game with the Lions last year, 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.
Now, Marks is teaming up with Montgomery after a roster-shaking trade.
That former tandem 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.
“He’s a funny guy. We’re going over plays and stuff right now. Get on the field for a short amount of time. We run plays. He wanted to change the plays to funny names. He’s a great guy. Just working out with him and then with the other backs there, we get along. We’re just clicking together.”
The arrival of Montgomery as the lead running back and primary replacement for injured former Pro Bowl selection Joe Mixon, who was released for a savings of $8 million, should allow Marks to stay fresh in a complementary role that should involve a lot of opportunities to catch passes out of the backfield.
The major thing to know, though, is that Montgomery will be a vital and frequent aspect of the offensive identity. The former Eagle Scout is expected to and already assuming a leadership role in mentoring Marks, Jawhar Jordan and British Brooks.
“David Montgomery has been an outstanding addition for us when it comes to just his approach to the game,” Ryans said. “A veteran guy who’s come in and he’s dialed in mentally, physically. He’s in really great shape, takes care of himself. I think he’s really a great addition for Woody, Jawhar British, all the young guys in the room.
“You see a guy of his caliber and what he’s been able to accomplish in the league, there’s a lot to learn from, a lot for him to share with those guys. I see that room has improved drastically by adding David to our team.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com