Houston Texans running back Arian Foster began training camp on the PUP List with a strained calf and now is dealing with a sore back, which on Monday kept him out of practice. Given the Pro Bowler's latest string of injuries, could his hefty workload in the back field be causing his body to break down?
"He has some lower-back soreness that's bothering him in his legs a little," Texans coach Gary Kubiak told the Houston Chronicle's blog on Sunday. "He's had some injections to try and alleviate some of the soreness. The way I understand it right now, we're trying to get through the injection process, that it's causing some discomfort, and it's something that's going to take some time for him to get through."
Kubiak also said he isn't in a rush to remove Foster from the PUP List, given that the back would then become ineligible for the regular-season PUP List.
"We're trying to do it at the right time when we know he's ready to play," Kubiak said. "I know Arian can make up a lot of time very quickly."
Foster suffered an unrelated hamstring injury in 2011. When he returned, he aggravated the injury again. With his latest injuries, Yahoo! Sports suggested the back's body could be breaking down - either from his amount of carries or his diet.
Foster had 327 carries in 2010, 278 carries in 2011 and an NFL-leading 351 carries last season. From 2010-12, he ranked first in number of carries with 956 - almost 100 more than free agent Michael Turner, who ranked second.
If the Texans' reliance on its running game isn't the reason, Foster's vegan diet could be a factor. The vegan diet, according to Yahoo! Sports, has raised questions of whether his body is obtaining enough of the nutrients needed to sustain taking hits in the NFL.
Kubiak, however, is optimistic.
"They've done numerous MRIs, and everything looks fine," Kubiak said. "They're just trying to make sure that he's comfortable before we say go."
Ben Tate, who rushed for 942 yards in 2011, would get the start if Foster is unavailable for Week 1. The depth behind Tate, however, is questionable: three undrafted rookies and Deji Karim, a four-year pro who didn't record a single carry for the Colts last season.
