Houston Texans running back Arian Foster has been ruled out against the Carolina Panthers Sunday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Foster is continuing to work himself back from groin surgery and the Texans could definitely use him on the field. The Texans only rushed for 98 yards in a loss to the Chiefs this past Sunday.
Running back Alfred Blue led the rushing attack for the Texans and he gained 42 yards on nine carries last week. Blue will likely need a better performance against the Panthers if the Texans want to get their ground game going.
The Texans have also made a move at quarterback going with Ryan Mallett this week over Brian Hoyer. It will be interesting to see if the ground game improves with the change at quarterback.
When healthy, Foster is likely one of the top running backs in the league. The only issue is that he is injured quite often. Foster is in his seventh year in the league, but he has only completed a full 16-game schedule twice.
That doesn't mean he can't be dominant in limited time though. Last season Foster played 13 games, but still managed 1,246 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns last season, showing his versatility.
The Texans are likely anxious to get their star running back on the field again, but they need to be cautious as Foster has a history of injuries.