Nov 16, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Texans' David Montgomery Makes Feelings on C.J. Stroud Clear

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Mar 13, 2026 5:00 PM ET

The Houston Texans have been diligently upgrading their offense over the early parts of this offseason to surround their quarterback C.J. Stroud in the best possible situation for his fourth NFL season on the horizon; one that's bound to be one of the most important years of his pro career yet.

One of those moves to upgrade Stroud's supporting cast was by acquiring Detroit Lions veteran running back David Montgomery in a trade involving a couple of draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs; providing another force to work in the backfield next to Woody Marks, and hoping to give this rushing offense a big facelift from an up-and-down 2025 campaign.

And while Montgomery hasn't taken a snap alongside his new quarterback just yet, having just arrived to Houston a couple of weeks ago, it's clear he's pumped to work with Stroud heading into next season.

"He's a dog. He's cold," Montgomery said of Stroud, via Big Sarge Media. "C.J. came out [of the draft] way later than I did, but just kind of seeing him progress as a rookie to who he is now, and seeing him having his highs and his lows, and him still being able to come back as somebody that can be mentally relentless and still go to work every day. Seeing it from afar, it's a thing to see."

David Montgomery LIkes C.J. Stroud's Mental Makeup

It's more than just the development that Stroud has showcased from a physical standpoint since his impressive rookie season that's caught Montgomery's attention. Instead, it's more so his quarterback's mental makeup and the resilience he's held through three years in the league that haven't always been perfect.

David Butler II-Imagn Images

Having a mentally relentless signal caller and leader like Stroud in those moments is the type of quarterback players aspire to play for, and is a bit of a reason as to why Montgomery is ready for the challenge of joining Houston, and playing with a quarterback like the Texans have at the helm that's both motivated and battle-tested.

"It's always good to see how people can handle the bad things, but it's also super important to see how well people handle the good things that happen as well," he continued.

"I think [Stroud] can handle it all. And that's somebody I want to play with and be able to go to war with; somebody who's battle-tested and been through it all, but been able to handle the worst too."

“He is a dog, he cold,” said Texans RB David Montgomery about QB C.J. Stroud. #Texans #Sarge #BigSargeMedia #TexansTailgateTalk pic.twitter.com/uBGT1aL09c
— BIG SARGE MEDIA LLC (@BigSargeSportz) March 13, 2026

With Montgomery to fill in behind Stroud this coming season, that upgrade should not only help boost the confidence of their quarterback in a big 2026 campaign, but also the offense entirely, which projects to be a whole lot more dynamic and balanced thanks to their facelift in the backfield.

It's early, but initial signs seem to show that Montgomery's fit with his new squad in Houston will be able to prove that he was well worth the investment.

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

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