Mason Foster (born March 1, 1989) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
. He was drafted by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in the third round of the
2011 NFL Draft. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. He has also been a member of the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
.
High school career
Foster attended
Seaside High School, where he played for the Seaside Spartans
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
team, leading them to a 12-1 overall record, a 5-0 league record, a Monterey Bay league title, and the CIF Central Coast Section small school championship in 2006. Foster led a defense that allowed just six points per game during the regular season and recorded four shutouts, as well as taking over at quarterback midway through the season. Foster was named the
Monterey County
Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas.
Montere ...
player of the year by the ''
Monterey Herald
''The Monterey County Herald'', sometimes referred to as the ''Monterey Herald'', is a daily newspaper published in Monterey, California that serves Monterey County.
In December, 2013, the Herald's parent company Media News Group merged to become ...
'', defensive player of the year by the ''
Salinas Californian'', an All-Central Coast Section first-team linebacker by the ''
San Jose Mercury News
''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...
'', and CalHiSports all-state first-team for 2006. He was ranked the No. 68 linebacker recruit in the country by Rivals.com.
Considered a three-star recruit by
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
, Foster was listed as the No. 68 outside linebacker in the nation in 2007.
College career
As a true freshman in 2007, Foster played in all 13 games, starting four games including three at weakside linebacker and one at middle linebacker.
As a sophomore in 2008, Foster started all 12 at one outside linebacker spot, leading the
Pac-10 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...
in tackles per game with 8.75 and topped the
University of Washington Huskies with 12.0 tackles for a loss. Foster earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 as well as being named the Huskies' team MVP (Defense).
As a junior in 2009, Foster started all 12 of the Huskies' games at one linebacker spot, finishing second on the team with 85 total tackles while leading the Pac-10 with six forced fumbles. Named honorable mention All-Pac-10 as well as ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' All-Pac-10 first-team.
As a senior in 2010, Foster started all 13 of the Huskies' games at linebacker, recording 162 tackles (12.46/gm) finishing second in FBS. Foster was named an All-American. Earned Defensive MVP honors for the 2011 Holiday Bowl in a win over Nebraska. Was invited to, and played in the 2011 Senior Bowl.
Professional career
Prior to the Senior Bowl, Foster was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by the majority of NFL draft experts and scouts. On January 29, 2011, Foster played in the
2011 Senior Bowl and raised his draft stock after an impressive performance. He attended the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
and was considered to be a top performer among his position group. On March 31, 2011, Foster attended Washington's pro day and chose to run to the 40-yard dash (4.74s), 20-yard dash (2.73s), 10-yard dash (1.62s), vertical jump (30.5"), short shuttle (4.48s), and three-cone drill (7.14s). At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Foster was projected to be a third or fourth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the tenth best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
selected Foster in the third round (84th overall) of the
2011 NFL Draft. Foster was the 11th outside linebacker drafted in 2011.
2011
On July 29, 2011, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Foster to a four-year,
$2.78 million contract that includes a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $525,000.
![Mason foster bucs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Mason_foster_bucs.jpg)
Throughout training camp, Foster competed to be the starting middle linebacker against
Tyrone McKenzie
Tyrone McKenzie (born December 11, 1985) is an American football coach and former linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He debuted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2010 and also played for ...
. His development and conversion to middle linebacker was delayed due to the
2011 NFL lockout
The 2011 National Football League Player lockout was a work stoppage imposed by the owners of the NFL's 32 teams that lasted from March 12, 2011, to July 25, 2011. When the owners and the NFL players, represented by the National Football League ...
. On August 24, 2011, Foster was fined $20,000 for a hit he delivered to
Chad Ochocinco
Chad Ochocinco Johnson (born Chad Javon Johnson; January 9, 1978), known from 2008 to 2012 as Chad Ochocinco, is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football for Santa Monica College and Oregon State University, and p ...
during the Buccaneers' 31–14 loss to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in their second preseason game. Ochocinco offered to pay the fine for him, as he disagreed with the league's decision, but the league stated that he would not be able to. Head coach
Raheem Morris named Foster the starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season after he had an impressive showing during the preseason.
He made his professional regular season debut in the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opener against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
and recorded seven combined tackles in their 27–20 loss. On September 18, 2011, Foster made his first career start and collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo), forced a fumble, and made his first career sack during a 24–20 victory at the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in Week 2. Foster made his first career sack on Vikings' quarterback
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...
for a six-yard loss in the second quarter. In Week 14, he recorded six combined tackles, deflected a pass, and made his first career interception in the Buccaneers' 41–14 loss at the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. Foster made his first career interception off a pass by Jaguars' quarterback
Blaine Gabbert
Blaine Williamson Gabbert (born October 15, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Missouri before leaving early for the 2011 NFL Draft after hi ...
, that was originally intended for tight end
Marcedes Lewis, in the endzone to secure a touchback during the third quarter. He finished his rookie season in 2011 with 84 combined tackles (58 solo), two pass deflections, two sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception in 16 games and 15 starts.
2012
On January 2, 2012, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired head coach Raheem Morris after they finished the 2011 season with a 4–12 record. Foster entered training camp as the starting middle linebacker and saw competition from
Adam Hayward after defensive coordinator
Bill Sheridan
William Sheridan (born January 27, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently the linebackers coach for the Arlington Renegades. Sheridan was previously the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football L ...
chose to try Foster out as an outside linebacker. Head coach
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano (born June 1, 1966) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Rutgers University, a position he held from 2001 to 2011 and resumed before the 2020 season. Schiano served as the head coach for the Tampa ...
named Foster the starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season, alongside outside linebackers
Quincy Black
Quincy Booker Black (born February 28, 1984), is a former American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He attended the University of New Mexico.
High school career
Black attended Kenwood Academy High ...
and
Lavonte David
Lavonte Lamar David (born January 23, 1990) is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Nebraska, and was drafted by the Buccaneers in ...
.
On September 16, 2012, Foster collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (12 solo), a pass deflection, and an interception during a 41–34 loss at the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in Week 2. Foster intercepted a pass by quarterback
Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
, that was intended for tight end
Martellus Bennett
Martellus Demond Bennett (born March 10, 1987) is a former American football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons. He played college football at Texas A&M and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second ...
, during the second quarter. In Week 17, he collected 12 combined tackles (11 solo) during a 22–17 win at the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. He started in all 16 games in 2012 and recorded 105 combined tackles (82 solo), two sacks, a pass deflection, and an interception.
2013
Foster returned as the starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season in 2013, alongside Lavonte David and
Dekoda Watson. He started in the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opener at the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
and recorded eight combined tackles and two sacks in their 18–17 loss. He made two sacks on quarterback
Geno Smith
Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl game ...
. On September 15, 2013, Foster made seven combined tackles, a season-high two pass deflections, and returned an interception for his first career touchdown during a 16–14 loss against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. Foster intercepted a pass by Saints' quarterback
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
, which was originally intended for tight end
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham (born November 24, 1986) is an American football tight end who is a free agent. He played only one year of college football at University of Miami after playing four years of basketball. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in ...
, and returned it for an 85-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. In Week 11, he recorded three combined tackles, broke up a pass, and returned an interception for a touchdown before exiting in the second quarter of the Buccaneers' 41–28 victory against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
after sustaining a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
. Foster intercepted a pass by Falcons' quarterback
Matt Ryan, that was intended for fullback
Patrick DiMarco
Patrick Scott DiMarco (born April 30, 1989) is an American former football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at So ...
, and returned it for a 37-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Foster sustained a concussion after colliding with teammate
Dashon Goldson
Dashon Hugh Goldson (born September 18, 1984) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Washington, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round o ...
and was inactive for the Buccaneers' Week 12 victory at the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. On December 1, 2013, Foster collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (five solo) during a 27–6 loss at the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in Week 13. On December 30, 2013, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired head coach Greg Schiano after they finished the season with a 4–12 record. He finished the
2013 season with 92 combined tackles (63 solo), seven pass deflections, three pass deflections, two interceptions, two sacks, and two touchdowns in 15 games and 13 starts.
2014
Foster entered training camp slated as the starting middle linebacker. Head coach
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...
named Foster the starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season, along with outside linebackers Lavonte David and
Jonathan Casillas
Jonathan Casillas (born June 3, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He played high school football at New Brunswick High School and college football at Wisconsin. He is of Puerto Rican and African-American ancestry.
College career
...
. Defensive coordinator
Leslie Frazier implented a defense that deployed the
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive scheme popularized by (and thus named after) the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League (NFL) team in the mid-1990s–early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4–3 defensive ali ...
which stressed the use of the middle linebacker in pass coverage.
On September 14, 2014, Foster recorded two solo tackles before exiting in the second quarter of the Buccaneers' 17–14 loss to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
after injuring his shoulder. He was inactive for three games (Weeks 3–5) after it was confirmed he had dislocated his shoulder. On November 9, 2014, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles during a 27–17 loss to the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in Week 10. He was inactive for two games (Weeks 14–15) after injuring his
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...
. Foster was sidelined for the Buccaneers' Week 17 loss to the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
after aggravating his Achilles tendon injury. He finished the
2014 season with 62 combined tackles (40 solo) and two pass deflections in ten games and ten starts.
2015
Foster became an
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in 2015 and received interest from the Chicago Bears and
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
.
Chicago Bears
On March 24, 2015, the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
signed Foster to a one-year, $825,000 contract that includes $250,000 guaranteed and a
signing bonus
A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
of $80,000.
Defensive coordinator
Vic Fangio
Victor Mick Fangio (born August 22, 1958) is an American football coach who is the defensive consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Fangio most recently served as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the ...
held an open competition to name starting inside linebackers. Foster competed against
Jon Bostic
Jonathan Earl Bostic II (born May 5, 1991) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Bostic has also been a mem ...
,
Shea McClellin,
Sam Acho
Samuel Onyedikachi Acho (born September 6, 1988) is a Nigerian-American ESPN sports analyst, a nine-year veteran of the NFL, a Vice President of the NFL Players Association, and author of ''Let the World See You: How to Be Real in a World Full ...
, and
Christian Jones. On September 4, 2015, the Chicago Bears waived Foster as part of their final roster cuts.
Washington Redskins
On September 29, 2015, the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
signed Foster to a one-year, $745,000 contract.
Head coach
Jay Gruden
Jay Michael Gruden (born March 4, 1967) is an American football coach and former quarterback who is an offensive consultant for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the head coach of the Washington ...
named Foster the backup inside linebacker to start the regular season, behind
Perry Riley and
Keenan Robinson
Keenan Robinson (born July 7, 1989) is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Texas, and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He also played for the ...
.
On December 7, 2015, Foster earned his first start of the season and recorded seven combined tackles during a 19–16 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
on
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
. Foster started the last five games of the regular season (Weeks 13–17) after Perry Riley broke the fifth
metatarsal
The metatarsal bones, or metatarsus, are a group of five long bones in the foot, located between the tarsal bones of the hind- and mid-foot and the phalanges of the toes. Lacking individual names, the metatarsal bones are numbered from the med ...
in his foot and underwent surgery. In Week 16, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles in the Redskins' 38–24 win at the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. He finished the
2015 season with 37 combined tackles (25 solo) in 13 games and five starts.
The
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
finished first in the
NFC East
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
with a 9-7 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 10, 2016, Foster started in his first career playoff game and recorded nine combined tackles in the Redskins' 35–18 loss to the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
in the NFC Wildcard Game.
2016
On March 9, 2016, the Washington Redskins signed Foster to a two-year, $2.50 million contract with a signing bonus of $350,000.
Throughout training camp, Foster competed against Perry Riley to be the starting inside linebacker. Head coach Jay Gruden named Foster and
Will Compton
William Compton III (born September 19, 1989) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and originally signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free age ...
the starting inside linebackers to begin the regular season in 2016, along with outside linebackers
Ryan Kerrigan
Patrick Ryan Kerrigan (born August 16, 1988) is an American football coach and former outside linebacker and defensive end who is the assistant defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played c ...
and
Preston Smith Preston Smith may refer to:
* Preston Smith (American football coach) (1871–1945), American football coach at Colgate University
* Preston Smith (linebacker) (born 1992), American football outside linebacker
* Preston Smith (governor) (1912–20 ...
.
He started in the
Washington Redskins' season-opener against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and recorded 14 combined tackles (nine solo) in their 38–16 loss. On January 1, 2017, Foster collected a career-high 17 combined tackles (15 solo) during a 19–10 loss to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in Week 17. He finished the
2016 season with 124 combined tackles (89 solo), three pass deflections, and a sack in 16 games and 13 starts.
2017
On January 5, 2017, the Washington Redskins fired defensive coordinator
Joe Barry
Joe Barry (born July 5, 1970) is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach for the Los A ...
. During training camp, Foster competed to be a starting inside linebacker against Will Compton. Head coach Jay Gruden named Foster and
Zach Brown the starting inside linebackers to begin the regular season, along with outside linebackers Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith.
He started in the
Washington Redskins' season-opener against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and collected a season-high nine combined tackles and recovered a
Carson Wentz
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Wentz played college football at North Dakota State, where he won two consecutive NCAA FCS nat ...
fumble in the first quarter of their 30–17 loss. On September 17, 2017, Foster made six combined tackles, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Rams' quarterback
Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for passing ...
late in the fourth quarter of the 27–20 victory at the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in Week 2. He was inactive during the Redskins' Week 3 victory against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
due to a shoulder injury. On October 28, 2017, the Washington Redskins officially placed Foster on injured reserve due to a torn labrum he sustained in Week 2. He finished the season with 31 combined tackles (22 solo), a pass deflection, an interception, and was credited with half a sack in five games and four starts.
2018
![Mason Foster 2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Mason_Foster_2018.jpg)
On January 25, 2018, Foster signed a two-year, $3.4 million contract.
In Week 8, Foster collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 20-13 win at the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Foster started in all 16 games in 2018, and recorded a career-high 131 combined tackles (81 solo), four pass deflections, two interceptions, and a sack.
Foster was released by the team on July 23, 2019.
See also
*
Washington Huskies football statistical leaders
The Washington Huskies football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Washington Huskies football program in various categories. The Huskies represent the University of Washington in the NCAA Division I FBS Pac-12 Conferen ...
References
External links
*
Washington Huskies bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bioWashington Redskins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Mason
1989 births
Living people
People from Seaside, California
Players of American football from California
American football linebackers
Washington Huskies football players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
Chicago Bears players
Washington Redskins players