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Texans' Foster looks at football differently now that he knows the physical cost

Andrew Innerarity-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster has spent seven seasons in the NFL, and that experience has apparently changed his perspective on the sport.

Foster joined actor Michael Rapoport on his podcast "I Am Rapoport" and admitted that he finds it difficult to enjoy football knowing the physical cost it requires its players to pay.

"I watch zero football. I swear," Foster said, according to Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. "Of course, I used to be a super fan growing up. Once you see the business side, you see it differently. I'm pondering entering the last couple, three-four years of my career and I'm thinking about what life will be like after football and I'm looking at the game differently. I look at it more like, 'I hope these guys come out healthy because they've got families.'

"It's not just entertainment to me anymore. I see the men and the humans behind it. It's a vantage point that not a lot of people get to see. I still do enjoy the game. I love it, but it's just hard for me to watch it from a fan perspective."

The 29-year-old is currently rehabbing from an Achilles injury that cut his 2015 season short, and it's possible that the Texans decide to move on from Foster, with a cap hit of nearly $9 million slated for the 2016 season.

While Foster didn't comment on his future, he admitted his frustrations with the double standard for teams and players when it comes to contract disagreements.

Teams are rarely criticized for parting ways with a player when he can no longer perform up to his contract, but players are often condemned for holding out in hopes of getting a deal that better reflects their production.

"If an owner cuts a guy because of salary cap reasons or whatever, we're like, 'That's a good business move,' but if a guy wants a trade, and he's publicly demanding a trade or he publicly does something where he wants to go to another team, he's looked at as a bad person or a locker room rioter, he's not a team person and it's (bullcrap)," Foster said. "He's doing what is best for him and his family. It's a business move. People don't think about that. They don't look at you as a human anymore once you make a certain amount of money."

Foster also challenged the hypocrisy of the NFL regarding Thursday night games, with the league consistently emphasizing its desire for improved player safety, but continuing to force players to perform after a quick turnaround from a Sunday game.

"If they really gave a (crap) about us, they would not have Thursday night games," Foster said. "It's the worst. you don't even practice (that week), all you do is have walkthroughs, because that's all you can do. Physically, you can't do anything else."

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