INDIANAPOLIS – The status of former Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster won't be determined strictly by his hefty salary-cap figure.
It's a more complicated decision than that and ultimately a football-centric evaluation that will involve weighing his age, durability issues and future productivity.
Although Foster isn't regarded simply as a line item that the Texans must scratch from their books, that doesn't mean he has job security for the AFC South champions following an injury-plagued season. Foster, 29, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in October and underwent groin surgery in August.
Asked directly Thursday if Foster will be on the roster, Texans general manager Rick Smith replied: "As it relates to all the free agent conversations, I'm never going to tell you one way or the other what we're doing, but I will tell you this: His salary is not a reason why we would cut Arian.