knee buckling underneath him.It's the first time in the Pittsburgh Steeler guard's two-plus decades playing football he'd ever heard one of his joints go "pop pop pop."Lying on the field at Saint Vincent College after the ugly collision during the opening week of training camp last month http://www.steelerscheapauthenticstore.com/vince-williams-jersey-cheap , Foster feared the worst."A lot of things go through your mind," Foster said. "You don't want to go through your whole entire career and end it on an injury or have to go to (injured reserve). I've always been a gamer. I've always been a guy that shows up."Something that Foster will continue to do for the AFC North champions now that the right knee that bent backward so awkwardly has mostly healed. The nine-year veteran practiced with his teammates on Monday for the first time since he hyperextended and suffered a bone bruise in the knee on July 28.The 32-year-old is optimistic he'll be available when the Steelers open the regular season at Cleveland on Sept. 9, though a lot of it will depend on how the knee responds to practice.Though he feels good, Foster is also being cautious. He doesn't want to rush back at the expense of his long-term health."This season is challenging," Foster said. "My goal is to be 100 percent right so I don't have to take a week off at some point for general soreness. We'll see how we feel (Tuesday)."Foster is the longest-tenured member of one of the NFL's top offensive lines. He created a role for himself after making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and is entering the final season of a three-year deal he signed in 2016. He shrugged when asked if the injury ended any chance at signing a new contract before the regular season starts."We're at a point now where if it happens, it happens and if not, it's up to me to have a great season," Foster said. "The way the market is now, we'll see how it goes."Foster is simply relieved it's even an option and is well aware of how narrowly he avoided a more harrowing outcome. When coach Mike Tomlin reviewed the play during a film session with the entire team, he paused at the moment Foster's right knee bent backward awkwardly."My foot was in the ground barely turning," Foster said. "Nobody said they could look at it Youth Joe Haden Jersey , so for me to be practicing today is truly a blessing."Foster has spent the majority of the past month in the trainer's room recuperating, a process he said he "hated every minute of."Still, he understands it's a small price to pay. Enormously popular with his teammates, Foster noted an uptick in chatter when he lined up on Monday."The thing I always say to myself is, 'When I'm done, I don't want to be a guy that is just someone they forget about,'" Foster said. "Clearly I've made my mark on some guys because they said practice wasn't the same. It was fun to be back." The Pittsburgh Steelers’ were extremely fortunate this past Sunday as they sat at home, or on a beach, and watched the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals all lose during the team’s Week 7 bye week.With their rivals all suffering losses, the Steelers watched themselves move from 3rd in the AFC North Cheap Terrell Edmunds Jersey , to first. In one week. Without playing.Fans of the black-and-gold were ecstatic, and rightfully so, and with two divisional games upcoming, many are thinking the division could be as good as Pittsburgh’s if they can beat the Browns in Week 8, and the Ravens in Week 9.Think again.While winning those games is important, the Steelers’ fate, which they somehow still control after a slow start to the season, will be decided with a series of big games down the stretch.Just look at some of the games which carry a great deal of significance, after the Ravens game in Week 9, and could decide if the Steelers make the postseason, or if they are on the outside looking in.Week 10 - vs. Carolina Panthers (TNF)After the Ravens game in Baltimore http://www.steelerscheapauthenticstore.com/stephon-tuitt-jersey-cheap , Pittsburgh will host Cam Newton and company at Heinz Field. These are tough games, and one the Steelers will have to find a way to win if they are to be considered legitimate contenders.Week 11 - at Jacksonville Jaguars (SNF)After a mini-bye, the Steelers will play the team who knocked them out of the playoffs last year. Unlike the Panthers game on Thursday Night Football, this is a big AFC matchup which could have playoff seeding implications.Week 13 - vs. Los Angeles ChargersMany consider the Chargers to be in the ‘class of the AFC’, and the Steelers will get to test them when they go across country to play the Steelers at Heinz Field.Week 14 - at Oakland RaidersYeah, Oakland isn’t any good this year, but the Steelers always seem to struggle when they go out west and have to play the Raiders. Losses to teams like Oakland can result in a playoff miss, not a playoff berth.Week 15 - vs. New England PatriotsThis might not be for home field advantage, but a huge game nonetheless.Week 16 - at New Orleans SaintsGoing to New Orleans in the dome might be a break from the elements in late December, but Drew Brees and company could make this game a nightmare. In the waning weeks of the season, wins could be clinchers Youth Xavier Grimble Jersey , and this is no gimme.Week 17 - vs. Cincinnati BengalsIn a perfect world, the Steelers’ final game of the regular season is meaningless. If it has meaning, this game could be both terrifying and electrifying. ...The point is while the next two games will go a long way towards division tie breakers, it won’t equate to an overall successful season. The good news is the past week of football has put the fate of the Steelers’ season in their own hands. If they take care of business, they won’t have to watch the scoreboard, or hope for help. Instead, it will be the rest of the AFC North watching the scoreboard wondering what the Steelers are doing on a week-by-week basis.Buckle up...the road might get bumpy down the stretch. nflshopoutlet.com