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Earlier this month, Texans owner Bob McNair said “there’s really not much you can think about” regarding running back Arian Foster’s future with the team because he’s recovering from a torn Achilles tendon.

Those comments came around the same time as a report that the Texans are expected to release Foster this offseason. The Texans can save over $6.6 million under the cap by parting ways with Foster, who turns 30 in August and hasn’t played all 16 games in a season since 2012. Those weren’t the things coach Bill O’Brien focused on while discussing Foster’s immediate future on Wednesday, however.

“He’s been in our building quite a bit working hard to get back,” O’Brien said, via the Houston Chronicle. “He’s a really good guy, good teammate, missed being out there, obviously he wanted to be out there helping us. He’s been a great player for the Houston Texans. He’s working hard to get back.”

Foster tore his Achilles in Week Seven, which leaves his readiness for next season up in the air even with a strong work ethic. There’s also the question of how effective he’ll be coming off of that injury when he was gaining less than three yards per carry before getting hurt. When you add that to the salary cap implications and Foster’s overall injury history, the prospect of the Texans moving on without Foster isn’t a difficult one to swallow.