San Francisco 49ers rookie linebacker Reuben Foster is very eager to return to the football field. Prior to Thursday's practice, he compared his desire to that of a kid in a candy store.
"I hope the doctors officially clear me," Foster said in the 49ers locker room prior to practice with a smile on his face. "I don't know (if I will play). Hopefully, they see a child in me -- like I want a candy. I want some candy. Let me have some candy."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan would love nothing more than to give his star rookie some candy. The 49ers remain winless after five games and any boost to the team would be a welcome one. Foster's presence on the defense would certainly qualify as a boost. However, it has to be a healthy Foster because the coach is not willing to put his linebacker in sooner than he is ready.
Shanahan joined the "Tolbert & Lund" show following Thursday's practice and shared his thoughts on Foster's timetable for a return.
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"Reuben's coming along," Shanahan said. "Any time you have a high-ankle sprain, if any of you guys have ever had that before, it's something that lingers for a while. He wanted to come back in the quarter after he got carted off so he's been waiting to play for a while but it takes time. We've given it the month and he's had a good week of practice but that's also something you've got to be very careful with – with it being a high-ankle sprain and also that he hasn't played football in a month.
"So, we're trying to be smart with it. He's had two good days of practice. We'll have another one tomorrow. I don't expect to just throw him out there for the full 60, 80 plays so we've got to be smart with him. Hopefully, he'll continue and improve tomorrow and we'll have a little package and see how the game goes for him."
You can listen to the entire interview with Shanahan below.
Friday's practice is an earlier one – scheduled for 11:45 a.m. It will be the team's final full practice of the week before a walkthrough on Saturday. The 49ers and Washington Redskins kick off on Sunday at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET from FedExField in Landover, Maryland.