The Redskins' season is coming apart at the seams right now, with Washington losing multiple quarterbacks to broken legs and forced into a position where it has to bench Mark Sanchez for Josh Johnson. That's not a recipe for winning football games.
It's gotten bad enough that defensive captain Mason Foster was apparently engaging in some chatter with fans of the team and saying some things that probably don't sit well with the organization.
Specifically, Foster said "F-- this team and f-- this fanbase" according to messages he sent that were posted by fans on social media (NSFW language warning should be obvious if you click). Worth noting here: Foster posted a bunch of laughing emojis (😂) when he said the comment, so it's very possible he was being sarcastic.
Foster deactivated his Twitter account shortly after the exchange was posted on Tuesday night.
Asked about the situation on Wednesday, Jay Gruden repeatedly said Foster's statement/comment didn't bother him and actually blamed the "fan" in question for posting the direct message on social media.
Jay Gruden on Mason Foster - I really don’t take anything from it. I do disagree with that guy posting a private message
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) December 12, 2018
Gruden: I really don’t care. It’s a private message. I know Mason and what he stands for.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) December 12, 2018
"At the end of the day with the amount of microphones and social media, there will be things said," Gruden added.
Additionally, Adrian Peterson said he believed it was a private message that someone took advantage of in publishing.
This is a pretty good response from his coaches and teammates. They could be plenty upset by Foster's comments. On the other hand, it's likely Foster isn't the only one who feels this way. The Redskins were 6-3 and in control of the NFC East. Now they're 6-7 and more likely to lose out than to make the postseason.
Plus, there's a pretty compelling argument that what Foster did isn't actually unusual for anyone in any walk of life.
If you have never complained about your job, bosses, or colleagues good for you. Most of us have. Most players vent negative things about their outfit after 5 losses in 6 games. Mason Foster's mistake was to voice his frustrations outside of his circle.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) December 12, 2018
The bottom line here is Foster said something he probably regrets, but Foster's frustrations are hardly the Redskins' biggest concern. They've got to worry about trying to score points with their fourth-string quarterback against a Jaguars defense playing its final game at home for the entire season.
