Houston Texans RB Arian Foster Poised to Return Much Sooner Than Expected

The Houston Texans saw star running back Arian Foster go down with a serious groin injury, but he appears to be ready to return earlier than expected.

According to a report from Aaron Wilson, there is growing belief that Foster will be able to return to the field at some point in late September or early October. That is big news for the Texans, as he is the workhorse of their offense and has been for quite a few years. Alfred Blue is capable of stepping up in the meantime, but the sooner Foster can get on the field, the better chances the Texans have of competing for a playoff spot.

During the 2014 season with the Texans, Foster carried the football 260 times for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 327 yards and five touchdowns on the season.

At 29 years old, Foster is still in the prime of his career and has another big season or two left in him if he can stay healthy. Groin injuries can be extremely difficult for running backs to bounce back from, which could cause Foster some issues throughout the upcoming season. Hopefully his rehab process continues going smoothly and he can get back to full health without any issues when he gets back onto the field.

Looking ahead at the upcoming season, the Texans could very well compete in the AFC South. They are being counted out by most analysts, but they are a much better team than many are giving them credit for.

There is no question that they have one of the top defenses in the NFL with J.J. Watt leading the way. Houston is going to rely heavily on their defensive ability, especially having to play quarterbacks like Andrew Luck within their own conference. Foster is the only major star that the Texans have offensively and is going to have to put up major production on a consistent basis.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see when he does make his return to the field. It sounds like he is attacking the rehab process and is doing everything possible to come back as early as possible.

If the Texans can get Foster back in the first few weeks of the season, it will change the outlook for their year completely.

Expect to hear plenty more news come out about Foster over the next couple of weeks. He is one of the hottest names from an injury standpoint right now and the league knows just how important he is.