David Montgomery wanted a chance to be the guy again after getting relegated to second fiddle in the Detroit Lions backfield in 2025.
He received that opportunity through his recent trade to the Houston Texans, but he believes he's more than just a enforcer brought in to fortify their backfield.
"As much as them saying I'm a power back -- I hear that a lot -- but I can do a lot of stuff that power backs don't do," Montgomery said Friday regarding the label he's received throughout his career, via . "I'm not going to talk too much about it. I'm more of a show than a tell kind of guy.
"I'm not going to say what I can or will do, I'm just going to show it."
It remains to be seen if Montgomery can continue to put his money where his mouth is after logging career lows of 158 carries and 716 rushing yards while taking a backseat to Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit last season, but he's displayed a skill set that goes far beyond bruiser through seven NFL seasons.
While Montgomery can bowl through defenders with the best of them, evidenced by his 33 rushing touchdowns over the past three years, he also boasts deceptive speed and surer hands in the receiving game than his rough-and-tumble running style would suggest.
He's had season-long runs over 70 yards in three different campaigns, including a 72-yarder last season, and is two years removed from leading the league with a 73.7 receiving success rate.
It's why the Texans parted with two draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs to pair Montgomery with Woody Marks, a move reminiscent of Houston acquiring Joe Mixon a couple offseasons ago. The club turned things over to Mixon during the ensuing campaign, and Montgomery is ready to carry the load after Houston returned again to the veteran running back well.
"I'm going into my eighth year now, and yeah, you like to put the veteran thing on it, but I honestly feel like I'm in my prime," Montgomery said. "I take care of my body really well.
"So am I able to handle the workload? Yeah, because I put a lot of stress, and I work a lot harder in the offseason to ensure myself a chance to be able to do something like that."
On top of his rushing prowess, Montgomery also brings a belief in quarterback C.J. Stroud, who came under fire following a disastrous two-game playoff stretch even Houston's championship-caliber defense proved unable to overcome.
Montgomery was present to see Jared Goff rewrite his narrative with the Lions.
Now, with the Texans, he could help Stroud do the same.
"Seeing him have his highs and his lows and him still being able to come back as somebody who can be mentally relentless and still go to work every day, seeing it from afar, it's a thing to see," Montgomery said of Stroud. "It's always good to see how people can handle the bad things, but it's also super important to see how well people can handle the good things that happen as well.
"And I think he can handle it all. That's somebody I want to play with and be able to go to war with. Somebody who is battle tested, who has been through it all. But who is also able to handle the worst, too."
If Montgomery can get Houston back to being feared on the ground after its run game fell to 22nd in the league last year, it will go a long way in ensuring the worst is behind Stroud -- and perhaps the Texans can put three consecutive stalls in the Divisional Round behind them with a deeper playoff run, as well.
