With a few weeks to go until the Houston Texans' training camp gets off and rolling, there's bound to be a handful of notable position battles worth watching .
Of the top competitions to watch, you've got the LB3 spot, the second defensive tackle next to Sheldon Rankins yet to be determined, who's going to start at right tackle, and even a punter battle to ensue between Jack Stonehouse and Kai Kroeger.
Yet, one spot on the Texans' depth chart that hasn't been quite as discussed has been what's to come for their third running back spot.
Of course, David Montgomery is going to be the lead ball carrier in the room, taking control of most of the carries. And behind him, Woody Marks will be filling in as the RB2, change-of-pace back who can also work well in the passing game.
But who's going to be the top name to fill in behind them? The writing could be on the wall for who the favorite to do so might be, but how that battle shakes out could be absolutely more impactful than what the initial expectation seems.
The importance of the Texans' running back depth comes down to one word: health.
Between the two backs leading the way in the Texans' backfield, both have had their injury troubles in the past, as most NFL running backs tend to have at one of the league's most vulnerable positions.
Marks played 16 of the Texans' 17 regular season games last year, but was subbed out in the middle of several contests with minor scratches and concerns, which is to be expected for a smaller back of his stature.
Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) runs during the first half of an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Montgomery was notably healthy last season, appearing in each of the Detroit Lions' 17 regular-season games, though he had also missed three games in each of 2024 and 2023, that brings some prior history.
He's also entering his early 30s and will be seeing a whole lot more usage in Houston this season from what he had last year in Detroit. So there's a slim chance, if not greater than that, that Montgomery gets banged up at some point throughout the course of a long 17-game season.
That leaves the RB3 spot as a position the Texans need to have notable confidence in; perhaps not as someone who can shoulder the load as a bellcow ball carrier, yet at least as someone who can be a solid fill-in as a "break glass in case of emergency" type of option.
If this Texans run game falters throughout the year, it's a tough blow for this entire offense's production. Houston learned that quickly last season and can't suffer the same pitfalls in 2026.
In the case of an emergency RB3 option that's reliable as an injury fill-in, Jawhar Jordan remains the top candidate to fill that role.
He showed last season that he can be that exact reliable fill-in during his one-week breakout against the Arizona Cardinals from the practice squad --logging 101 yards on 15 carries--and now has another year of experience under his belt to offer more confidence in his abilities moving forward.
Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan (26) walks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
However, it's far from a guaranteed spot for Jordan to fill, and could be a role that sees competition heat up once training camp arrives in July.
If someone like British Brooks breaks out as a pleasant surprise, or even one of the undrafted free agents breaks out as worthy of a bid on the roster--Noah Whittington out of Oregon or Joshua Pitsenberger out of Yale-- they can also make a push themselves.
Along with those options, there's always the chance that the Texans dabble in the free agent market to find a veteran pickup who's lingering up for grabs.
Houston did something similar last offseason once it was known Joe Mixon was bound to miss extended time in the case of signing Nick Chubb at OTAs , and he elevated into a significant role on the offensive side of the ball.
That doesn't mean you should expect Chubb--who's still on the free agent market today--to come back onto the roster, but it opens the door for more options from those simply in the building right now.
Needless to be said, keep an eye on how the deeper parts of this Texans running back depth chart might look by the time next season rolls around, as it could quickly become much more impactful than how things seem on the surface.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as Why the Texans' RB3 Battle Matters More Than Anyone Thinks .
