This offseason, Reuben Foster was coming off of an impressive year during which he was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded rookie linebacker. He was also the ninth-highest graded linebacker in all of football.
Foster has been less impressive during his sophomore campaign with the San Francisco 49ers. He is currently Pro Football Focus' 76th-highest graded linebacker, and that's out of 85 qualifying players.
Missed tackles by the NFL star have contributed to the unexpected drop. Foster's 12 ranks second-worst among all NFL defenders (Cleveland Browns linebacker Joe Schobert has 13).
"There have been two games this season, in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs and Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, where Foster actually missed more tackles than he had successful tackles," wrote Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus.
Foster isn't the only second-year 49ers player in a sophomore slump, but his regression may be the most surprising. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked on Wednesday if the team is concerned about the linebacker's inconsistency this season.
"I think Reuben is still trying to get back to where he finished last year," Shanahan responded. "He's not there yet. I think he's had times where he shows it but his consistency needs to improve. He knows that. I know that.
"He did miss a second offseason for things that we all know about, which is on Reuben. Then when he got here, knowing that he was going to be suspended those first two games, he didn't get as many reps there towards the end and things like that.
"I think there is a little bit of rust to him, not that that is an excuse. He needs to find a way to get that rust off. We haven't yet but I expect him to as this year goes."
Foster missed several games due to injuries during his rookie season. His shoulder was a concern entering the NFL. Foster entered his first offseason recovering from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder following Alabama's 2016 season. His contact during practices was minimal until training camp.
Could shoulder issues be something Foster has to deal with throughout his career?
"You'd have to ask doctors more about that," Shanahan answered. "I get concerned any time something keeps happening. So yes, I obviously do get concerned, but from what I'm told, you don't have to worry about that long-term. He's got to keep himself in some less vulnerable positions, which could help.
"He has had some things that have scared him in these games, but he's come back, and they've checked out alright to where there is no issue, and he's been able to go by Wednesday's practice.
"It's something we'll continue to monitor. We've had a few close scares with him but nothing like he had before he got here."
