Reuben Foster was cleared to return to 49ers-Cowboys late in 4th quarter

There was not a lot of good to take away from the San Francisco 49ers Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but there is one positive on the injury front. Reuben Foster left the game in the third quarter with a rib injury, and was listed as questionable to return. Following the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said the medical staff cleared Foster to return to the game late in the fourth quarter. The game was out of hand at that point, so he was not brought back into the game.

Foster left the game and missed a play with what seemed like a hip injury. He returned after the one play, but then went down again later after a touchdown. We don’t know if the two incidents were the same injury or not, but either way, it cost him most of the second half of the game.

The rookie linebacker has dealt with multiple injuries in his short NFL career. There were concerns about durability during the pre-draft process. He generally seemed fine in college, but the rotator cuff surgery had plenty of prognosticators a little concerned. His NFL injuries have been different kinds, but his durability will remain on the radar for the time being.

The 49ers return to practice on Wednesday to prepare for the Philadelphia Eagles. My guess is we see him listed as limited, although given this combine with potentially not being 100 percent on his ankle, maybe the 49ers give him a full rest day. Wednesday’s practice participation report will tell us plenty more.