Running back Arian Foster’s prolific career with the Houston Texans has come to an end.
The Texans informed Foster, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, this week that he will be released, according to multiple reports. He has missed 20 games due to injury the past three seasons.
Head coach Bill O’Brien was hesitant and non-committal when asked at the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine whether Foster would return. General manager Rick Smith said the move would not be made based solely on Foster’s high cap number.
Foster, 29, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in October and he underwent groin surgery in August 2015.
Foster is due a $6.5 million non-guaranteed base salary in the final year of a five-year, $43.5 million contract. Foster also has a $500,000 roster bonus to be paid $31,250 for every game he is active. He has an $8.925 million salary-cap figure.
Smith predicted Foster would bounce back next season, but never indicated that comeback would necessarily unfold with the Texans. Foster has been cleared to jog and is hoping to play next season, which he’s expressed recently to the Texans. The Texans’ all-time leading rusher with 6,472 yards and 54 touchdowns. Foster rushed for 163 yards and one touchdown in four games last season.
“I met with Arian a couple weeks ago, he’s doing well,” Smith said last week. “He’s got the right mindset. He came in and talked to me a couple weeks ago to make sure that we knew that. And I believe him. He’ll bounce back. He’ll be fine.”
That rebound just won’t be with the Texans.