Not many people can brag about being an NFL player as a side hustle. While Montorie Foster Jr. always stayed ready and kept preparing for potentially playing in his second season out of Michigan State, he was also selling houses and dipping his toes into the real estate business.
After a strong training camp and some impressive preseason performances, he may want to put his other business endeavor on hold, at least for the next semester. He's been one of the best storylines of the season, and the Seattle Seahawks seem extremely high on him right now.
With Jake Bobo suffering a major injury and the Seahawks looking for another pass catcher to fill in, Foster Jr. has made the most of every opportunity. That's great for the team, but not so much for rookie sixth-round pick Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
Montoire Foster Jr. might cost Emmanuel Henderson Jr. a Seattle Seahawks roster spot
Foster Jr. carried his strong training camp momentum into Week 1 of the preseason, hauling in five receptions for 36 yards and a score in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Then, he followed that effort with one grab for 24 yards in Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans.
A former basketball standout, Foster didn't do much early on in his collegiate career at East Lansing. Despite the Spartans' offensive struggles, he blossomed in his final two years before the Seahawks got him as an undrafted free agent in 2025, though he didn't play last season.
Now, with Bobo looking at a long time on the shelf, he might be next in line behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp, and Tory Horton. With the Seahawks likely taking five wide receivers on their 53-man roster, Henderson might be relegated to a practice squad role.
Of course, that's not necessarily surprising for a sixth-round pick, and that doesn't mean the Seahawks can't activate him a couple of times to see what he can bring to the table, mainly on special teams.
That said, given how high the team seemed to be on him and how much he also excelled in limited preseason action, watching Foster Jr. emerge out of the blue to potentially take his spot is a somewhat surprising turn of events.
Unlike most teams, the Seahawks could afford the luxury of drafting for special teams. Henderson can return kicks and punts and has also showcased his prowess as a gunner. Even so, it takes a lot to crack the Super Bowl champions' roster, and there are only so many spots up for grabs.
Foster and Henderson will have one final shot to go toe-to-toe and outplay each other to make that last push for a spot on the roster. But as things stand now, the team is likely to lean toward the more polished offensive player over a young man who, while talented, is still a bit raw and better suited for special-teams duties.
