This Aug. 19, 2016 photo shows Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster (34) walking along the sideline during an NFL preseason football game in Arlington, Texas. Four-time Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster has announced, Monday, Oct. 24, 2016, his retirement midway through an injury-plagued season with the Miami Dolphins. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)
MIAMI (AP) – Four-time Pro Bowler Arian Foster says he can no longer take the punishment an NFL running back endures, so he is retiring midway through an injury-plagued season with the Miami Dolphins.
Foster, 30, tried to come back from a torn Achilles tendon, but was slowed this season by groin and hamstring injuries. He announced his retirement Monday on the website Uninterrupted as the Dolphins began their bye week.
The team confirmed the decision, effective immediately.
"There comes a time in every athlete's career when their ambition and their body are no longer on the same page," Foster wrote. "I've reached that point. It's hard to write those words because this game has been everything to me ... my therapy, my joy, my solace and my enemy."
- Gisele Bundchen: From Victoria’s Secret to NFL Wife
- Tony Romo among NFL’s stars on decline: Can he stay healthy to play at all?
- NFL Super Bowl Week Event With Middle School Students
- Arian Foster among several NFL players protesting during national anthem on 9/11
- Best pix of the week
- American football gaining a lot of traction in Brazil
- New NFL Uniforms Unveiled
- The Concept Behind The Conflict Kitchen
- Latinos tackle the NFL
Foster, who is Mexican-American signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Dolphins in July after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Houston Texans. He holds the Texans' franchise record with 6,472 yards rushing.
This season he rushed for 55 yards on 22 carries, and he had 5 yards on three carries Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
"My father always said, 'You'll know when it's time to walk away,'" he wrote. "It has never been more clear than right now. I'm walking away with peace. I know it's not commonplace to do it midseason, but my body just can't take the punishment this game asks for any longer."
Foster was one of several Miami players this season to kneel during the pregame national anthem to protest social inequality. His playing time was curtailed with the emergence of Jay Ajayi, who tied an NFL record by surpassing 200 yards rushing in consecutive games.
Since 2010, Foster ranked second in the NFL with 115.2 yards from scrimmage per game, trailing only Le'Veon Bell's 121.9.
"No words to describe the appreciation and love I got for Arian Foster," former Texans offensive lineman Chris Myers tweeted. "Playing center for a player like him makes a career seem like a dream!"
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.