A year after the Seattle Seahawks waived Montorie Foster Jr. with a hamstring injury, the former Michigan State wide receiver is back in training camp with a Super Bowl ring and another chance to make the 53-man roster.
His route back to Seattle included a job as a high school substitute teacher, a real estate license and, according to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune, a “random guy” Foster met at a gym near his Cleveland home.
Bell highlighted Foster’s unusual journey on Aug. 7 as the 25-year-old continues his push to stick with the defending champions.
Seattle waived Foster with an injury designation in August 2025 after a hamstring issue interrupted his first NFL training camp.
Twelve months have passed, and he’s with the same organization with an updated background.
Foster Went From Seahawks Cut to Super Bowl Champion
GettyCHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 16: Montorie Foster Jr. #3 of the Michigan State Spartans runs the ball past Xavier Scott #14 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at Memorial Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Foster entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2025 after five seasons at Michigan State.
Seattle signed him following rookie minicamp, where Foster said roughly 50 players competed for opportunities and only two earned contracts.
His first run with the Seahawks ended before the preseason.
The team’s official biography lists Foster as waived/injured on Aug. 6, sending him back to Cleveland with no guarantee another NFL call was coming.
For the next 18 weeks, Foster kept training.
St. Edward High School detailed how he worked out daily, sometimes using the school’s weight room, while building a life away from football. He earned his real estate license and returned to St. Edward as a substitute teacher in the same classrooms he once attended.
“I wasn’t losing sight of the goal,” Foster told St. Edward. “It was tough, but I was doing everything I could to get back on the field.”
Seattle called again on Dec. 30 and signed him to the practice squad before its postseason run.
Foster didn’t appear in a game, but he helped the Seahawks prepare by working against the starting defense in practice, telling WILX before Super Bowl LX that his job was to push the defense each day.
The payoff was unusual even by NFL standards.
Spotrac lists Foster with $13,000 in 2025 cash earnings, yet he finished the season as a Super Bowl champion.
Seattle then signed him to a reserve/futures contract in February. An his deal carries an $885,000 base salary for 2026, though his place on the final roster is unsettled.
Foster Faces Crowded Seahawks Competition for Roster Spot
GettyRENTON, WASHINGTON – JUNE 04: Montorie Foster Jr. #87 of the Seattle Seahawks works out during practice at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on June 04, 2026 in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The next part of Foster’s story will be harder to end with a ride-off-into-the-sunset ending.
Seattle has an strong group at the top of its receiver room, leaving a dogfight near the bottom.
Field Gulls reported that Cody White and Ricky White III are among the contenders for the sixth receiver job, giving Foster several players to jump before roster cuts.
That competition is familiar territory.
Foster’s path to the NFL began with only one varsity football season at St. Edward before he earned a Michigan State scholarship. He eventually played 54 games for the Spartans, finishing with 108 catches for 1,426 yards and eight touchdowns.
He has already made his goal obvious.
“The NFL is my dream, and I plan to make that 53-man roster next year,” Foster told St. Edward in February.
The Seahawks gave him that opportunity by keeping him through the offseason.
Foster now has to turn one of the NFL’s more striking comeback stories into a roster decision Seattle can’t ignore.
Seahawks’ Substitute Teacher-Turned Champion Credits ‘Random Guy’ in Roster Push