Former substitute teacher making noise with Seahawks

SEATTLE – There were moments last fall when Montorie Foster Jr. considered giving up football.

What stood out from Seahawks’ preseason opener

After signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie wide receiver in May 2025, Foster hurt his knee early in training camp last summer and was waived with an injury designation. He returned home to the Cleveland area, where he continued to train as he waited for another crack at the NFL.

For months, Foster remained unsigned. He got his real estate license, worked as a high school substitute teacher and began pondering life after football.

“It was tough, man,” Foster said. “(There were) times where I wanted to give up and just get a regular job. But I stayed at it. My dad told me cream always rises to the top and just to stay faithful. I just kept working.”

Foster’s persistence is paying off.

After getting a call from the Seahawks last December, he signed with their practice squad, stayed on through the team’s Super Bowl run and then signed a futures contract that kept him on the roster this offseason.

And now, he’s making a serious push to stick around – at least in some capacity.

Foster, who reportedly has been a standout in training camp this summer, hauled in a team-high five catches for 36 yards and a touchdown in Seattle’s 17-7 preseason-opening loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

“All the things you felt in camp, you felt today during the game,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said.

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Foster’s scoring reception came on Seattle’s opening drive, when he fought through a defensive pass interference penalty to snag a 5-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Drew Lock. Foster also got open down the left sideline with an excellent double move in the third quarter, but Lock overthrew him for what could have been a 68-yard TD.

“He’s had a great summer,” Lock said. “The journey he’s been on from the previous year until now, man, he’s light-years away from where he was, and he’s been fantastic for us. He makes great plays. Explosive with the ball in his hand. Reliable. He’s going to catch the ball. Yeah, nothing but confidence for him.”

Foster has a steep path to a 53-man roster spot in the Seahawks’ crowded wide receiver room.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed and Tory Horton are locks. Jake Bobo seems likely to make the cut after Seattle matched the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offer sheet and signed him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal in March.

And even if the Seahawks keep a sixth wideout, Foster would have to beat out a host of candidates – including Cody White, rookie sixth-round pick Emmanuel Henderson Jr., former New York Jets special teams ace Irv Charles and Ricky White III.

Foster would also have to prove his worth on special teams, which is often the determining factor for back-end roster spots. According to Pro Football Focus, Foster played 247 special teams snaps over his five-year career at Michigan State. However, he didn’t play any special teams snaps on Saturday night, per PFF.

But regardless, Foster has thrust himself into the conversation – if not for the active roster, then at least as a practice squad candidate.

“Every time I play, I play to a standard,” Foster said. “And it don’t matter if I’m playing good or bad, my standard is my standard. I go out there every day and just try to put my best foot forward and put forth the effort, go block, do the little things, and let everything else take care of itself.”

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