The Houston Texans kept five running backs on their initial 53-man roster.
If that doesn't sum up the uncertainty in their RB depth chart, what does?
With Joe Mixon out, seemingly indefinitely, the Texans have to solve their running game. They know the offense will cook, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud and WR Nico Collins.
But there needs to at least be a semblance of a backfield threat to combine with that.
The five guys on the roster:
- Nick Chubb
- Dameon Pierce
- Woody Marks
- Dare Ogunbowale
- British Brooks
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Chubb is the biggest name of the group, by far. He was a star for the Cleveland Browns. But after a serious knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 season, Chubb hasn't yet displayed the same juice he had early in his career.
Pierce was really good as a rookie a but hasn't returned to that level since. He's explosive, including in the return game.
Marks is a fourth-round rookie, Ogunbowale is a third-down back and Brooks is likely just depth across a couple of the different roles.
"Chubb seems to be the starter for now, but he hasn't shown the same explosiveness post-injury that he had earlier in his career, which could open the door for Pierce or Marks to take on a larger role," writes ESPN's Dan Graziano. "It'll be interesting to see how many of these guys are active on game days, since Brooks and Pierce are too valuable on special teams to be inactive. But until someone steps up and shows more than they have so far, expect the Texans to use the run game to set up a passing game they believe will be more dynamic in C.J. Stroud's third year than it was in a disappointing 2024 that led to the firing of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik."
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The Texans are in a winnable division. They've got a franchise quarterback and a star No. 1 receiver.
If the running backs can deliver, this could be a special campaign in Houston. But if they struggle, it could all be just a bit more difficult.
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