NFL Injury Report: Is Arian Foster Poised to Return to Texans vs Dolphins?

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster did not play in the team's NFL season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, as he continues to heal from a hamstring injury he's had since the preseason.

Luckily for the Texans, the team did not miss him much in their 34-7 victory. Backups Ben Tate (24 rushes for 116 yards and one touchdown) and Derrick Ward (11 rushes for 39 yards and one touchdown) handled the running responsibilities handily.

But now that the Texans have passed that first test without their star rusher, the attention turns to their Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, a team with a sturdier defense than the struggling Colts.

As of now, Foster is still day-to-day. In the Texans' post-game press conference last night, head coach Gary Kubiak said that there is "still some question" about how well Foster is recovering from his injury, and that the next test of his readiness will be on Wednesday, when the Texans have their next practice.

Until then, it is hard to say how likely it is that Foster plays in Miami. That there is still some question about how quickly his recovery is progressing is not a terribly reassuring sign for the running back's chances to play in Week 2.

His participation on Sunday hinges on how he performs in Wednesday's practice, or whether he participates at all. If he is held off the field for that practice, the odds of him playing on Sunday decrease exponentially. If he does not practice on Thursday, he will most likely be out against the Dolphins.

At least, if that is the case, the Texans can rest easily knowing that the football will be in capable hands when it can't be in Foster's.