David Montgomery enters the 2026 season as the lead back for the Houston Texans following an offseason trade from Detroit, where his carries dropped to a career-low 158 en route to 716 rushing yards in 2025. The 29-year-old signed a restructured two-year deal and is expected to handle the bulk of early-down and goal-line work in a backfield that includes rookie Woody Marks, with the Texans having added offensive line reinforcements to support a more run-oriented attack behind quarterback C.J. Stroud. His power-running style and red-zone reliability have produced consistent touchdown totals in recent years, though workload distribution, game script, and any minor injury setbacks from his prior knee and shoulder issues will shape his final rushing total in the 17-game schedule.