Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) carries the ball in the first half against the New England Patriots in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

NFL Hits Texans RB Woody Marks With Fine

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 12:41 PM ET

It looks like the NFL dished out a small fine to Houston Texans running back Woody Marks following the events of their last game against the New England Patriots.

According to an announcement via the NFL's Gameday Accountability page, Marks was one of five players around the league issued a fine during the divisional round action—getting hit with a bill of $6,061 due to unnecessary roughness and use of the helmet.

It makes for the first and only time that Marks had been fined during his rookie season, albeit for a minor issue, and the second-smallest fine issued to a player for that week.

Therefore, certainly nothing that devastates Marks' bank account, but perhaps a bit of insult to injury when paired alongside Houston's playoff loss to eliminate them from the playoffs entirely.

Texans RB Woody Marks Hit With $6K Fine

The incident in which Marks was fined came during the middle of the second quarter wth just under nine minutes to go on a second and long, and actually came from the same play where C.J. Stroud suffered his third interception of the first half by the hands of Patriots safety Craig Woodson.

Upon Woodson's return, he wound inevitably be brought down by Marks on a hard-hitting tackle, but one in which the Texans running back led with his helmet on the takedown.

TIPPED. PICKED!

The @Patriots pick up another INT

HOUvsNE on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/Muzf1lCeGw
— NFL (@NFL) January 18, 2026

Admittedly, such a hit from a 5-foot-10, 207-pound rookie running back is a bit impressive to watch unfold on the field, but of course, the league would certainly like to keep helmet hits to a minimum no matter who's the one making the tackle, even if it may be from one of the smallest players on offense.

There was no flag on the play at the time, but upon further review after the game had taken place, the NFL made sure to strike the fine hammer on Marks not too long after––giving a small slap on the wrist to the Texans rookie running back.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Marks was the only player on the Texans to have received a fine from the league office during their two games of playoff action.

Throughout the regular season, Houston had a handful of guys to hit with some financial consequences—the biggest fine of the year being dealt to Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who saw a steep $23,186 taken from his paycheck back in Week 17, also thanks to unnecessary roughness due to the use of the helmet.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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