Star running back Arian Foster is retiring at 30 because his body ‘can’t take the punishment’ of the NFL anymore

Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster announced on Monday night that he was retiring from football.

“I know it’s not commonplace to do it midseason,” Foster wrote in a statement on Uninterrupted, “but my body just can’t take the punishment this game asks for any longer.”

He went on to call football a “beautifully violent game” while also seemingly making a joke about head injuries.

“This is a beautifully violent game and the same reason I loved it is why I have to walk away,” Foster wrote. “That bittersweet taste will forever linger with me, but on my next journey, I get to carry those memories with me. Hopefully. lol.”

Foster, 30, is Houston’s all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns, and he led the NFL in rushing in 2010. He made four Pro Bowls. He often struggled with injuries, however, including a torn achilles he suffered last year. While Foster averaged more than 1,400 yards a season from 2010 through 2012, he played in more than eight games just once in the four seasons since.

Here’s his full statement (via Twitter):