Gary Kubiak Limiting Arian Foster’s Carries Smart Move For Now

Sep 9, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) runs for a short gain during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Since entering the NFL in 2009, Arian Foster has been one of the most dominant running backs in the league. Foster has excellent vision and can find a running lane in the blink of an eye. When he is in the backfield, there is no doubt that the Houston Texans are a better team.

Foster is currently recovering from an injury and the Texans’ staff wants to make sure their star running back is fully healthy before giving him an extended workload.While splitting carries with backup running back Ben Tate might sit well with Foster, he does understand his coaches logic. During Monday Night’s game against the San Diego Chargers, Foster was visibly upset while he was on the sidelines. After the game Foster said via Espn.com:

“They had a game plan going in about how much they wanted me to play and they were trying to ease me back into it, but my competitive nature, of course you want to be in.”

For now, limiting Foster’s carries is definitely a smart move by Gary Kubiak and the Texans’ staff. After all, championships are not won in the beginning of the season and an NFL season is more of a marathon than a sprint. Foster will be more valuable to the Texans later in the season, so decreasing Foster’s workload in the beginning of the season will hopefully keep him fresh for later in the season when he will be needed the most.