49ers LB Reuben Foster carted off with ankle injury vs. Panthers

The rookie rolled his ankle badly in his first game with the 49ers.

Reuben Foster’s career with the San Francisco 49ers got off to a rocky start Sunday after an ankle injury resulted in the linebacker getting carted off the field against the Carolina Panthers. The team announced shortly after his departure that Foster is questionable to return.

Foster, 23, earned a starting role in his first game with the 49ers after he was taken in the first round in April. The linebacker suffered the injury when he rolled his ankle trying to tackle Panthers rookie running back Christian McCaffrey.

Prior to the injury, the 49ers defense was doing well against Carolina, but immediately following Foster’s exit, Cam Newton connected with Russell Shepard on a 40-yard touchdown pass.

What will the 49ers defense do without Foster? Next on the depth chart behind Foster is Ray-Ray Armstrong, a veteran who spent his first two seasons with the Rams and Raiders before joining the 49ers late in his third NFL season in 2015.

He has five NFL starts under his belt, but none with San Francisco and probably isn’t going to be as effective as Foster would be in the role. If it’s a serious injury for the rookie, it’s a blow to a 49ers team that can’t afford many.