After a season nearly derailed by injury, Robert Foster is getting another chance at an NFL comeback.
The former Buffalo Bills receiver, who was once the team’s top target during Josh Allen’s rookie season, has not appeared in an NFL game since 2020. He spent time with the New York Giants this offseason, but was placed on injured reserve in August and later released with an injury settlement.
But now that he’s back to full health, Foster will get another chance with the NFC East team.
Giants Land Former Bills Receiver
The Giants announced on Monday that they had signed Foster to the practice squad. He will be reunited with Giants coach Brian Daboll, who was Buffalo’s offensive coordinator during the 2018 and 2019 seasons when Foster was with the team.
Giants place WR Robert Foster (hamstring) on injured reserve
Foster joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and become one of the top deep threats in an otherwise thin receiving corps. He appeared in 13 games that season and started in three, making 27 catches for 541 yards.
Foster was the No. 1 receiver for a stretch of his rookie year and the only pass-catcher to record a 100-yard game that season, doing so three times in a five-game stretch late in the season. He recorded a total of 438 yards and two touchdowns during that stretch, including one of the most memorable scores of the season. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he caught a 75-yard bomb that Allen heaved from a collapsing pocket, a play that showcased the arm talent of the Bills rookie quarterback.
But Foster saw his role with the Bills steadily dwindle over the course of the next season, as the team brought in veteran targets for Allen in John Brown and Cole Beasley. The team also drafted tight end Dawson Knox and gave a bigger role to speedy slot receiver Isaiah McKenzie. Foster appeared in 13 games in his second season, catching just three passes for 64 yards and no touchdowns.
Foster Faces Long Odds
While the signing gives Foster a pathway back onto an NFL roster, he could have a difficult time finding an opening with the Giants. In a season preview written as Foster was fighting for a spot in training camp, SI.com’s Patricia Traina wrote that the 28-year-old would have a difficult time making a jump up the roster given the team’s deep talent ahead of him.
“Foster’s strength is in running vertical routes, but he’s not a big yards-after-catch guy, nor has he had success with contested catches (41.7 percent contested catch rate),” Traina wrote. “Given the projected depth in front of him such as C.J. Board and Collin Johnson, two tallish and productive receivers, Foster is looking at an uphill battle.”
But Traina noted that Foster still has good size and speed, and could contribute to the Giants in other ways beyond the passing game.
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Ex-Bills WR Gets Another Shot at NFL Comeback, Signs With NFC Team