Reuben Foster Missing Season with Shoulder Injury 'Worst Case Scenario'

The San Francisco 49ers have not shown any concern about rookie linebacker Reuben Foster's shoulder, with head coach Kyle Shanahan offering a worst-case scenario for the former Alabama star.

Speaking on the KNBR Radio's Murph & Mac show (via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee), Shanahan doesn't believe Foster's shoulder injury is a long-term issue:

"

The worst-case scenario is that the shoulder doesn’t heal correctly and you’ve got to do it again. And then you have to do it again, you have to get another surgery. It would be tough to play this year, and you end up having him the next year.

But it’s not something that would hurt him long-term. So the worst-case scenario, he wouldn’t end up being able to play for us right away. But I still don’t think that would have changed how I personally felt about taking a guy with the 31st pick with the caliber of player that we took.

"

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday Foster fell in the draft primarily because teams were concerned about the status of his shoulder.

Foster had surgery in February on his right rotator cuff. One source told Schefter that the previous procedure "didn't take."

The 49ers selected Foster with the 31st overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft after trading up to select him. He was a unanimous All-American selection and Butkus Award winner last season at Alabama.