Running back Arian Forster may be back sooner than originally thought, according to Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien via Houstontexans.com.
"Relative to the injury that he has and prognosis early on, I would say he's ahead of that," said O'Brien. "He's a very hard-working guy in that training room and I think he'll be back sooner rather than later, relative to what the early prognosis was."
Foster has not played in the preseason, and he has not practiced since suffering the groin injury in training camp on August 3rd. Foster got surgery on his groin on August 7th by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. The Texans kick off their schedule against the Kansas City Chiefs, and will likely miss their star running back.
Foster has been a top back in the NFL for some time now, but he continually seems to have injury issues. He hasn't played a full season since 2012, and has only played 16 games twice in his career. With that said, when he's in the game he is a dominant force. In six years in the league he has rushed for more than 1,000 yards four times. Last season in 13 games he rushed for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns.
Alfred Blue is the next back behind Foster, and the second year player got some great experience as a rookie. Blue was a sixth round pick out of LSU in the 2014 NFL Draft, and has shown promise. Last season, he rushed for 528 yards and two touchdowns. It is likely that he will have a bigger role this season, and he has probably become more adapted to the pace of the NFL.
Although Blue is likely to have an increased role, don't expect him to get more carries than a healthy Foster. The Texans probably know how crucial Foster is to their team.
They have had a quarterback battle this offseason, and while they know Brian Hoyer is their starter there is no guarantee with his play. This is why Foster is so important, because whether it's Hoyer or Ryan Mallett, neither is likely to succeed without a good run game.
