The Washington Football Team activated former first round draft pick, LB Reuben Foster, from the PUP list early on Sunday morning.
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NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo announced that Washington activated Foster off the PUP list, just over a year after his knee injury.
Washington has activated LB Reuben Foster off the PUP list. A little more than a year removed from his ACL-plus injury, he’s on track for Week 1.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 9, 2020
Reuben Foster off-the-field problems
The 26 year old middle linebacker was projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2017 draft, before behavioral issues affected his draft stock. He would still be drafted in the first round, though, when the 49ers traded up to select him with the 31st overall pick.
In his first season in San Francisco, he showed promise, registering 72 tackles in 10 games. Unfortunately, his off-the-field issues got the best of him again when he was arrested for suspicion of domestic battery in 2018. The 49ers released him a day after the news broke.
The Washington Football Team (formerly Redskins) acquired him off of waivers, but his streak of bad luck continued. On the first day of the 2019 OTA’s, he sustained a severe injury, tearing his ACL, MCL, and PCL. It was only 7 months later that he would receive feeling in his toes again.
WATCH – Reuben Foster suffers knee injury
First day of OTA’s, third play in a Redskins uniform…LB Reuben Foster goes down with what appears to be a significant knee injury.
He was carted off the field. More tonight on @ABC7News.@KgriggsPhoto @AdamSchefter pic.twitter.com/2yUZ0l4a8Y
— Scott Abraham (@ScottABC7) May 20, 2019
Also read – Minnesota Vikings Roster: Vikings sign free agent LB Quentin Poling, release Tony Brooks-James
Good news for Washington Football Team
Foster was a dominant force at Alabama, where he won the Dick Butkus award, which is given to the best collegiate linebacker in the country. However, his talent has failed to translate at the professional level thus far.
His last NFL appearance was in week 6 of the 2018 season, and Washington declined to pick up the fifth year option on his contract earlier this year. Needless to say, this season may be Foster’s last chance to establish himself in the NFL.
It has been a historically difficult offseason in Washington. Between the name change and the sexual misconduct allegations, 2020 has been a year to forget. Hopefully, Washington fans see Foster’s speedy recovery as a sign of better things to come in the new era.