Rookie linebacker Reuben Foster has been wearing a protective walking boot on his right foot since he suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Carolina Panthers during Week 1. On Tuesday, that boot was off according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
The boot is off for Ruben Foster, and he appears to be walking around very well.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) September 19, 2017
That's progress for the rookie who likely hopes to get back on the football field as soon as possible. Until then, Foster will be limited to observing and learning, which is something that defensive coordinator Robert Saleh feels can help him grow as a player.
"He'll be in all the meetings," Saleh said on September 12. "For him to be able to sit back and absorb all the information after getting a week's worth of game time, for a rookie, believe it or not, I feel like it's almost going to be a blessing in disguise where he can just sit back. He's experienced preseason. He's experienced the game.
"And now to just watch it all from the outside, get his body back in working order where he can just kind of let things come to him rather than in the game just kind of going and going and going where he never gets to sit back and observe everything. That usually doesn't happen until their second year. For him to get this knowledge, I almost feel like it's going to be a blessing in disguise for him and the organization."
Foster did not play on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and will not play in Thursday's game at Levi's Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams. Beyond that, no one is certain. However, following the injury, head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that his star rookie could miss at least a month due to the injury.
Following Thursday's game, the 49ers will have 10 days until they travel to play the Arizona Cardinals on October 1. However, that will still be well under a month since the initial injury.