Texans view David Montgomery as a ‘three-down back’ 

The Houston Texans traded for veteran David Montgomery this offseason to provide oomph to a backfield that struggled to gain any traction in 2025.

“He’s a three-down back,” Texans running backs coach and assistant head coach Danny Barrett told Aaron Wilson of 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.”

After seeing his snaps siphoned off last season with the Lions, Montgomery read the tea leaves. Detroit was going to give Jahmyr Gibbs the lion’s share of the workload, leaving Montgomery as a true backup. He wanted a larger role, so he requested a trade. Detroit eventually shipped him to Houston for fourth- and seventh-round picks and guard Juice Scruggs. The Texans inked Montgomery to a new $16.5 million contract.

The 29-year-old still has juice left. He can bowl over defenders between the tackles, always falls forward, and can be a plus in the passing attack. Montgomery’s ability to find a sliver of space and gain tough yards will be a welcome sight in Houston, which struggled mightily in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

“He’s all-day tough,” offensive coordinator Nick 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.”