David Montgomery will miss Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns despite returning to full practice Friday, delaying the veteran running back’s return to the Houston Texans lineup.
The Texans ruled Montgomery out Saturday because of his groin injury and said he would not travel to Cleveland. He had entered the weekend listed as questionable.
The decision leaves Houston looking to Woody Marks, who finished the week without a game designation after dealing with a knee injury. Both backs practiced fully Friday, but only Marks came off the game-status report.
Montgomery’s practice participation had improved each day: he sat out Wednesday, worked on a limited basis Thursday and participated fully Friday. That was a change from the previous week, when he missed all three practices before being ruled out against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Saturday’s announcement did not explain why that progress failed to produce clearance for the Browns game or provide a new return timetable.
| Running back | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Latest game status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Montgomery — groin | Did not practice | Limited | Full | Out |
| Woody Marks — knee | Limited | Did not practice | Full | No designation |
Woody Marks carries Houston’s recent workload into Cleveland
Marks handled 18 carries for 70 yards in Houston’s 44-22 win over the Chargers last Sunday, adding one catch for four yards. Emari Demercado had six carries for 16 yards and a reception for eight yards.
That gave Marks three times as many carries as Demercado, providing a recent picture of how Houston distributed its rushing work without Montgomery. It does not establish an exact split for Sunday, but Marks’ clearance removes the uncertainty that followed his missed Thursday practice.
Houston won last week largely through the passing game. C.J. Stroud completed 21 of 35 passes for 384 yards and five touchdowns, while Kayshon Boutte and Tank Dell each topped 100 receiving yards. Montgomery’s absence means the Texans will again have to build their rushing production without him.
Texans face a short turnaround after the Browns game
Houston visits Cleveland on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, then hosts the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. That schedule gives Montgomery a short interval before the team’s next game, although the Texans have not announced whether he will be available for it.
