Texans RB D'Onta Foreman 'Light-Years' Ahead in 2017 Achilles Injury Recovery

Houston Texans running back D'Onta Foreman could be in line for a breakout year after missing most of the 2018 NFL season while recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in November 2017.

On Tuesday, Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett said Foreman will head into training camp in a much better place after opening last season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

"He's light-years ahead of where he was last year at this time, coming off the injury and everything," Barrett told reporters. "I still think he’s continuing to work hard. I think he’s had a good offseason to date. The time away from here, I thought was well spent for himself. Getting ready to go physically, and I think mentally, right now, is what I look at is each and every day." 

Foreman, a third-round pick in the 2017 draft, showcased potential while averaging 4.2 yards per carry across 10 appearances (one start) during his rookie campaign before suffering the serious injury.

The 23-year-old University of Texas product recorded just seven carries last year, however, and didn't display much explosiveness in limited work after being activated off the PUP in early December.

Foreman is now back to full strength and said during organized team activities (OTAs) he feels better than he's felt in a long time.

"I was talking to somebody else about that," Foreman told reporters Monday. "I was telling them that coming into this OTA, I feel way better than I even felt coming into any season that I had at the University of Texas, possibly even high school."

He was trending toward taking the starting job from veteran Lamar Miller during the latter stages of his rookie year before the Achilles tear. Miller remains the projected starter in Houston's backfield for 2019, but there's a good chance a healthy Foreman could overtake him.

The Texans will likely end up using a committee regardless of who's listed as No. 1 on the depth chart, though.