The Houston Texans didn’t turn over the whole roster this offseason, but a few familiar faces are staring at very different jobs than the ones they had a year ago. Some are moving into bigger roles.
Others are sliding into more specialized ones. Either way, the fit around them has changed, and that changes the picture for Houston.
Woody Marks is one of the clearest examples. As a second-year running back, he was thrust into a lead role last season because Joe Mixon unexpectedly missed the entire 2025 season with a foot injury. That opened the door for Marks to handle the kind of workload Houston never planned on giving him so soon.
He made the most of it. Marks finished first among Texans running backs in carries, rushing yards and total touchdowns. But that kind of setup does not look likely to repeat now that David Montgomery is in the mix and expected to be the RB1.
That doesn’t mean Marks is headed for a reduced impact so much as a different one. His path now points toward a change-of-pace, third-down role, where his explosiveness and receiving ability can be used more often.
Montgomery can handle the goal-line work and the physical carries between the tackles, while Marks gives the offense another layer in passing situations. For a Texans ground game that finished in the bottom 10 of the NFL in 2025, that kind of split could help the unit as a whole.
Jaylin Noel is in a similar spot, only on the other side of the ball. The Texans’ 2025 third-round pick spent most of last season in special teams work as a returner, piling up 60 combined kick and punt returns. Offensively, his usage was much lighter: 26 catches, 292 yards and two touchdowns.
That should change. Noel’s chances are better now because Christian Kirk is gone to the San Francisco 49ers, and Jayden Higgins is out for the entire season with an ACL injury. Houston needs someone who can work the slot and also help Nico Collins as a dependable No. 2 while Higgins is sidelined.
Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson are in that mix too, but the Texans have more invested in Noel as a third-round pick from just last year. Add in what the source described as an extremely productive offseason, and he looks like the best bet to take a real step forward in the passing game.
Then there’s Jake Andrews, whose situation is more about being pushed out of the spotlight than losing value entirely. He handled the Texans’ starting center job for the full 2025 season and did it well enough, though some postseason struggles may have nudged the team toward a change.
Houston now appears set to open with free agent signing Evan Brown at center and first-round pick Keylan Rutledge next to him at left guard. That leaves Andrews, along with Wyatt Teller, in the second unit.
Andrews still made the 53-man roster, which says plenty about how the Texans view him. He remains a backup center option, and if Brown ever misses time, Rutledge could slide over to center while Teller takes over at left guard. That would still leave Andrews without a clear snap count, but Houston keeping him around instead of cutting him outright shows the team still sees him as useful depth.
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Texans' 2026 Ceiling May Come Down To One Backfield Question
Houstons offensive ceiling in 2026 may end up tied to a place teams often try to solve late, not first: the backfield. The Texans are looking at a running game built around David Montgomery and Woody Marks, a pairing that could help keep C.J. Stroud out of too many obvious passing downs and make the whole offense easier to manage. If that ground attack can stay steady, it should open more room for the passing game and give Houston a better chance to function like a contender.
Woody Marks enters the conversation after a productive rookie season, and Montgomery brings the kind of tough, reliable running that can change the tone of an offense. The question for Houston is whether those two can do enough together to give the Texans the balance they lacked at times, because the path to a stronger offense and a real AFC Championship push may run straight through the line of scrimmage. [Read more 🡒]
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Harshs strong showing in the second preseason game, complete with multiple tackles, a sack and pressure on the quarterback, helped carry him onto Houstons 53-man roster for the 2026 regular season. He has said he is excited about making the team, but he also knows the harder part begins now as he tries to turn a surprising August into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Just Raised The Stakes For Houston's Biggest 2026 Decision
C.J. Strouds place in Houston has already become one of the leagues more interesting quarterback storylines, even with the Texans still planning around him as their long-term answer. The early returns from his first two seasons gave the franchise plenty to build on, from an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and a Pro Bowl nod to the kind of team success that has put Houston back in the playoff conversation and back atop the division.
DeMeco Ryans and the Texans staff have spent the offseason stressing that Stroud is still getting better, not backing up, pointing to cleaner work in the pocket and sharper decisions when a play starts to unravel. At the same time, the contract clock keeps moving toward a 2026 decision that will shape Houstons roster and salary cap for years, which is exactly why outsiders around the AFC South are watching so closely. [Read more 🡒]