Linebacker Reuben Foster has not participated in the San Francisco 49ers' offseason program thanks to his offseason legal troubles. When 49ers players reported to the team's offseason program on April 16, Foster was not among them. He was dealing with the three felony charges in relation to a February 11 arrest involving allegations of domestic abuse.

Foster's legal troubles have been mostly resolved. He just has one outstanding misdemeanor charge related to an assault weapon found in his home by authorities. Foster rejoined his teammates last week after the domestic violence charges were dropped but is being worked back into practices slowly. While he has not participated in a full practice session yet, he is being put through individual drills.

"[The 49ers] had expected that while he was out dealing with his legal issues, that he would spend time with a personal trainer but that didn't happen as much as they would have liked," reported Jim Trotter of NFL Network following Wednesday's practice. "So rather than bring him back and have him go full throttle and potentially suffer a soft-tissue injury, they're going to bring him along slowly. I'm told at the very latest, we can expect him back on the field for minicamp in two weeks but likely before then.

"One thing about Reuben at this point, when you talk to people around the building, they don't hide their excitement. They believe that he is a player that when he is in, this defense is different, has a different energy, different vibe. And they believe when he combines his cerebral part with the athletic part, his game is only going to go to a higher level."


One person who is excited to have Foster back is defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who discussed his linebacker on Wednesday.

"We're all excited," said Saleh. "The whole organization matches his enthusiasm. And it's not just because of Reuben the player but Reuben the person. For those who don't know him and don't have the privilege to know him, really don't understand what a great human being he actually is."

Saleh said Foster returned to the 49ers in great shape and he physically could have fully participated in practice upon that return. Foster's teammates, however, have had the benefit of a participating in two phases of the team's offseason program before organized team activities.

"So we're just giving him a chance to get back into it, don't rush him," Saleh said. "There's no need. Hopefully, we can get him practicing soon."
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