Houston, TX -- (Sports Network) - The Houston Texans placed veteran running back Ahman Green on injured reserve Tuesday, effectively ending his season.

The 11-year pro suffered a knee sprain in the team's 16-6 win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. With a slim margin of error for making the playoffs and only five games remaining on their regular season schedule, the Texans (4-7) and head coach Gary Kubiak decided to cut Green's season short.

"It's a tough decision for us because you're at a tough period in the season," Kubiak said in an interview on the team's website. "If a player's going to miss a week or two, that's one thing. But if you're looking at three or four weeks, now you start to make different decisions on players at this point in the season because you don't have that many weeks left."

This is the second straight season the 31-year-old Green has had cut short due to injuries. A left knee injury suffered early last season limited him to just six games -- and after seeing time in just eight games this season -- the Nebraska product has made six starts in two seasons for a franchise that signed him to be their workhorse running back two years prior.

Green enjoyed great success while spending the previous seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, rushing for over 1,000 yards in six of those seven campaigns, and earning four trips to the Pro Bowl.

In 11 NFL seasons, including two years with the Seattle Seahawks, Green has compiled 9,045 rushing yards and 59 touchdowns in 140 games.

In related roster moves, Houston signed running back Darius Walker to the practice squad and released linebacker Justin Roland from the practice squad.