Arian Foster Will Likely Land With Contender In 2016

The Houston Texans announced Thursday that they’ll be parting ways with four-time Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster. The move was reported by ESPN insider Adam Schefter this morning via Twitter.

There were 20 running backs selected in 2009 draft through 256 picks, but Foster wasn’t one of them. He only played in four games his rookie season but followed that up with three straight 1,000-plus yard seasons. He was the league’s rushing champion in 2010 and is currently the Texans’ all-time leading rusher.

Foster dealt with multiple injuries and played in just four games in 2015, running for just 163 yards. The Texans certainly didn’t have an elite rushing attack without Foster, but they got by and were able to sneak into the postseason by winning a weak division.

General manager Rick Smith says that the decision to release Foster has nothing to do with money but that they simply can’t count on his availability anymore. Not to mention he’ll be 30 years old before the start of the 2016 season, and with more and more players deciding to retire earlier in their careers, it seemed like the right time to move on.

Foster will find a job pretty quickly once free agency begins. He’s still young enough and, when healthy, productive enough to be a starting tailback. There are a few pretty good teams that might be looking to upgrade their backfield, namely the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. Don’t be surprised if Foster finds a home quickly with a contender this offseason.