Running back Arian Foster has signed a five-year, $43.5 million deal to stay with the Houston Texans.
"I think both sides expressed that they wanted to get a deal done," Foster said Tuesday.
Foster, 25, was the Texans' workhorse the past two seasons and helped them reach the NFL Playoffs for the first time last season. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, Foster was paid $525,000 in his previous contract.
He will be paid $18 million in base salary next season, plus incentives, in 2012.
Foster was the NFL's leading rusher in 2010 with 1,616 yards. He then ran for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He was due to become a restricted free agent next week, but his agent said Monday that Foster was eager to work out a deal with the Texans.
"I'm very thankful that we have an organization that reached out. They didn't have to come to me with a deal," Foster said. "They still had the rights to me for the next two or three years. They didn't have to do this. They did it off of the fact that as a player that has been playing good for 'X' amount of years and they wanted to take care of that player and take care of their organization and solidify that they want to be a team in this league to compete at a high level. I'm very fortunate that they were able to see that and they did that."
Since becoming a full-time starter in 2010, Foster has led the NFL in rushing yards per game (97.9), rushing touchdowns (26) and yards from scrimmage (4,061). He also leads all running backs in yards receiving per game (42.1).
In the 2011 playoffs, Foster had 285 yards rushing and three touchdowns in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals and a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
—Contributing: Associated Press
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