Reuben Foster is attempting to kickstart his NFL comeback by working out for a team of which he has a pre-existing connection. Foster, who has not played since midway through the 2018 season, has a workout with the New York Jets this week, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Foster in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and the team's defensive coordinator at the time of his selection, Robert Saleh, is now the head coach of the Jets.
Foster played and started 16 games across parts of his first two NFL seasons before the 49ers released him in the wake of his third arrest inside of a year. In explaining Foster's release, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that Foster's various off-field issues made him "hard to trust."
Foster was first arrested on weapons charges and a misdemeanor drug offense, and later in two alleged domestic violence incidents. In the first of those two incidents, Foster's girlfriend stated under oath that she had fabricated the story. The charges against Foster stemming from the second incident were later dropped, with the State Attorney's Office in Florida citing a lack of evidence.
After San Francisco released Foster, Washington claimed him off waivers — a roster move that resulted in extensive backlash against the team. He was subsequently placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List while the NFL conducted an investigation into the allegations against him. Ultimately, the investigation did not result in Foster being suspended but instead fined two game checks and put into an accountability program.
During his first offseason practice session with Washington, Foster tore his ACL and LCL and was placed on injured reserve. He sat out the entire 2019 season while rehabbing before Washington placed him on injured reserve again for the entirety of the 2020 campaign. Now he is attempting to come back, with his first chance to do so being a workout for the team led by one of the coaches who originally brought him into the league.
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