AP

Texans running back Arian Foster leads the league in carries, with 103 through four games. And Texans coach Gary Kubiak sees no reason to lighten Foster’s workload.

Asked today whether there’s a risk associated with Foster taking that much of a pounding, Kubiak said he wouldn’t give Foster the ball so much if Foster couldn’t manage it.

“He can handle it,” Kubiak said. “I know that.”

But even if Foster can handle the workload of 26, 28, 25 and 24 games, wouldn’t it be wise to rest him once the game is out of reach? Not according to Kubiak, who kept feeding Foster the ball even in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s blowout of the Titans. Instead, Kubiak says, Foster will get his rest during the week.

“We’re giving Arian some breaks during the course of practice during the week,” Kubiak said. “He looks fine to me. He’s holding up fine. He hasn’t missed any time other than the time we’ve given him. . . . He makes us go so I’m not too concerned with that at this point.”

Foster is on pace for 412 carries this season, which would be the second-most in one season in NFL history. To handle that and still be healthy for the playoffs is a tall order, but Kubiak doesn’t have any doubts that Foster is up to the task.