It was roughly a half-decade ago that Reuben Foster was seen as one of the better young linebackers in the NFL. Back in 2017, he found himself as a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. Later that year, Foster finished third overall in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year race.
Fast forward five years, and Foster has not suited up in the league since all the way back in 2018 due to injuries and off-field issues.
Shockingly, the Seattle Seahawks might now be willing to give the troubled defender another look. According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Foster will be working out for Seattle in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday.
There’s somewhat of a coincidence to this whole thing. San Francisco traded up from the 34th pick to the 31st selection to nab Foster back in 2017. The team it traded up with? Seattle.
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Reuben Foster’s career derailed by off-field issues, injuries
Midway through his sophomore season back in 2018, the former Alabama standout was waived by San Francisco after a domestic violence arrest.
Foster, 28, was considered a top-five prospect leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft. However, an incident with the hospital worker at the NFL Scouting Combine caused a major stir among NFL teams. It led to him falling all the way to the 31st selection.
For the 49ers, it was a risk worth taking given his on-field excellence. Foster proved that as a rookie prior to seeing his career in Northern California come to a premature end.
- Reuben Foster stats (2017): 72 tackles, 7 for loss,5 QB hits (10 games)
Shortly after being waived in November of 2018, Foster was picked up by Washington. It received a ton of criticism for the move given the aforementioned arrest despite the fact that charges were ultimately dropped.
The following May saw Foster suffer a torn ACL during offseason workouts. It cost him the next two seasons. He didn’t play last year, leading to this prolonged absence.
As for the Seahawks, they could use some depth at inside linebacker. Former first-round pick Jordyn Brooks is slated to start as a third-year player. He was awful in coverage a season ago, yielding an 80.2 completion percentage and 118.1 QB rating in coverage.
Perhaps, Seattle’s brass wants to light a fire under him by bringing in Reuben Foster. Time will tell on that front.