The Houston Texans haven’t had the same player lead the team in rushing yards in back-to-back seasons since Lamar Miller did it from 2016-2018.
Carlos Hyde (1,070 in 2019), David Johnson (691 in 2020), Rex Burkhead (427 in 2021), Dameon Pierce (939 in 2022), Devin Singletary (898 in 2023), Joe Mixon (1,016 in 2024), and Woody Marks (703 in 2025) have since been the best the organization has to offer at running back, which quite frankly isn’t enough.
It’s why they keep turning the keys over to someone new year after year…
Houston general manager Nick Caserio seems content with cycling through cast-offs and veterans who are on the decline, with his past failures not being enough for him to change anything this time around.
If he did finally find his long-term option at running back, it wasn’t because he finally figured out something new. It’s because that same old formula spit out David Montgomery in 2026.
RB David Montgomery
Height: 5′ 11”
Weight: 230lbs
Age: 29
Contract: 2yr, $16.5M
2025: 17 G, 158 RUSH, 716 RUSH YDS, 8 TD
Montgomery is better than the vast majority of those players previously, so let’s just get that out of the way.
If he were given the same amount of carries as other top options around the league, there’s no doubt he would have surpassed 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons, and even did so once despite splitting carries with Jahmyr Gibbs with the Detroit Lions.
Montgomery ranked No. 31 in total carries (158) in 2025, while coming in at No. 22 in terms of yards per attempt (4.5) and No. 17 in rushing touchdowns (8) — meaning he played better than many others despite being given less opportunities. If it weren’t for his otherworldly former teammate, there’s a belief that he would rank top-five in rushing touchdowns across the last three seasons combined.
Can he remain the same player without Gibbs, though? Can he stay healthy as the undoubted bell cow? Can this fundamentally flawed offense afford him the same opportunities as his former?
I don’t have the answers!
Montgomery, after being acquired via trade this offseason and immediately inked to a restructured contract that covers the next two years, just might. The Texans are certainly counting on it…
