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Houston Texans star running back Arian Foster exited the team's Week 17 game against the Jaguars with a hamstring injury.

ESPN's Tania Ganguli confirmed Foster would not return after initially being ruled questionable.

The last time Foster was hurt came in Week 9's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he suffered a groin injury. Houston was fortunate in that it had a bye the following week as it allowed the Pro Bowl ball-carrier time to recover, though he did wind up missing two games thereafter.

Foster popped up on the injury report again in practice prior to Week 16's showdown with Baltimore with a hip issue. The star running back missed eight games in 2013 after undergoing back surgery and was a question mark coming into the current season.

In spite of those ominous circumstances prior to the 2014 campaign, he has played extremely well when called upon, running for well over 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career despite an unstable quarterback situation.

Foster is irreplaceable in the Texans' backfield due to his unique vision and stupendous pass-catching abilities. Lackluster QB play has plagued Houston in recent years, yet Foster has still been among the most productive backs in the NFL when healthy. With a superior player under center, the game plan can be more balanced, sparing Foster physical punishment and extending the prime of his Texans tenure.