The Houston Texans have had an up-and-down 2025 season, starting 5-5 through 11 weeks. While they lead 23-16 against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter, it is the defense that has shone through, as the offense has struggled to maintain momentum.
With running back Joe Mixon out injured, rookie Woody Marks has taken over as the Texans’ lead back, who unfortunately went down in the third quarter. Here’s everything to know about his status.
What Happened to Houston Texans RB Woody Marks?
Through three quarters, Mark has converted 14 carries into 73 yards, serving as a reliable presence on Houston’s offense. However, in the third quarter, Houston’s coaching staff held its breath as the rookie went down with an injury.
After a five-yard run with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter, Marks was brought down by the Bills’ defensive end Greg Rousseau. Following the tackle, Marks was slow to get up. While trainers attended to him, he was able to get up and jog to the sideline under his own power. He would return on the Texans’ next offensive drive.
Encouraging sign as #Texans rookie Woody Marks runs off field @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/ALeMmvh8bl
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 21, 2025
Marks has completely taken over the RB1 role for the Texans. This is no longer a timeshare between him and Nick Chubb. It’s the rookie’s backfield. He’s rushed for 348 yards and two touchdowns on 99 carries. He’s also caught 16 passes for 190 yards and two more touchdowns.
At times, Marks has shown a deft ability to wiggle his way through the Texans’ offensive line for yardage and bust past defenders on the outside, too. Despite acquiring the veteran in the offseason, simply put, Chubb is not that effective anymore. Given the fact that the Texans cut Dameon Pierce earlier today, Houston is going all in on the rookie.
They have to be lucky he didn’t get injured, as the Texans would be stuck without a solution in his absence, given Pierce’s release. If Marks were to miss time, Chubb would be an uninspiring RB3/Flex option who is entirely touchdown dependent. Dare Ogunbowale would slide into the passing-down role.
The Texans are still waiting on the return of veteran Joe Mixon, who thrived in Houston during the 2024 campaign. It sounds like there’s a chance he may not return until 2026, giving Marks plenty of opportunities to show Houston what he’s capable of to form an intimidating one-two punch between the two backs. The Texans need some sort of spark as they rank in the bottom half of PFSN’s Offense Impact metric at 25th with a rating of 71.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.Â
