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The only problem was Foster's jersey, No. 77, was worn by Robert Pearson, a member of the team.
So it wasn't exactly retired. Or, more accurately, it hasn't been retired yet. Per Robinson's writing, Foster found the humor in the situation as well. “I almost wanted to snatch it off the kid's back,” Foster said, laughing. “I didn't want to be a bad guy about it."
Certainly an awkward situation, and it's unclear why it couldn't have waited until the following season, or even why Foster didn't seem to know about it.
Foster, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, received a three-year contract from the Steelers this offseason, and has replaced Willie Colon at left guard. Foster has a strained pectoral muscle, and may miss the Steelers' Week 6 game against the Jets, incidentally, where Colon is now.
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