With Pro Bowl running back David Montgomery out for another week, Woody Marks will once again serve as the Houston Texans ' top running back when they face the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Despite averaging only 3.5 yards per carry so far this season, Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley is confident Marks can carry the run game.
"He can play on all three downs. He's explosive with the ball in his hand, he can put his foot in the ground, he can slash run, does a good job with the ball with the run after catch piece out of the backfield as a route runner and he's a really good protector in blitz pickup. I don't see any limitations," Caley said. "He can play on all three downs, he did that as a rookie last year for us and got better as the year went along."
In his 23 career appearances with Houston, Marks has never had a 100-yard game. He also has only four rushing touchdowns in his career, although he was more involved in the passing game. In 2025, he was credited with three receiving touchdowns.
Marks is a solid running back, but his natural fit is as a No. 2 back instead of the top back.
During the offseason, Houston brought in Montgomery to be the lead back. However, even before his injury, that was not working out. After a three-touchdown performance in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills, Montgomery hasn't scored a touchdown since. Montgomery was only averaging 2.7 yards per carry, so he is clearly on the Texans' answer at running back.
Given Houston's 2-5 record, it would not be smart for the AFC South franchise to go all-in on a running back before the trade deadline unless it moves to 3-5 following a win at SoFi Stadium. However, this will certainly be something to watch during the offseason and in the NFL Draft.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans OC Nick Caley on Woody Marks: "He can play on all three downs"
