Foster is a starter, Shanahan affirms

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged Tuesday what had appeared obvious: Rookie Reuben Foster, who started the preseason opener and has lined up with the first team in practices this week, is a starting inside linebacker.

Foster, the No. 31 overall pick in the draft, was widely expected to move into the starting role after Malcolm Smith’s seasonending pectoral injury Aug. 5. Since Smith was placed on injured reserve, Foster has taken first-team snaps, except for one practice in which RayRay Armstrong replaced him.

Foster has been “getting most of the reps, which I believe he needs,” Shanahan said. “But ... he could get beat out at any time. We’ve got some good players behind him, too. If they started performing at a higher level than him, then that wouldn’t be the case.”

It seems highly unlikely that Foster will be unseated. He was viewed as a top-10 draft selection, but concerns over a surgically repaired shoulder helped push him to the bottom of the first round. His shoulder hasn’t been an issue during a training camp in which he has had four interceptions.

Sowers on staff: Shanahan said coaching intern Katie Sowers will have a full-time role on the staff this season.

Sowers, whose internship ended last week, will be the second female to be a full-time assistant coach in NFL history. Shanahan did not specify a title for Sowers, but indicated she will continue working with the wide receivers and assisting with the quality-control staff. Sowers interned with the Falcons last year when Shanahan was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator.

“She’s a hard worker,” Shanahan said. “You don’t even notice her because she just goes to work and does what’s asked, and because of that, she’s someone we would like to keep around.”

USADA suspends Goodwin: The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced that 49ers wide receiver Marquise Goodwin, who competed in the long jump at the 2012 Olympics, has accepted a one-year suspension for not maintaining the paperwork on his whereabouts that is part of its testing protocol.

Goodwin will not be subject to discipline by the NFL. In a statement, Goodwin said that he has not failed a drug test and that he didn’t maintain his paperwork because he decided last year to focus solely on his football career.

“Therefore, I discontinued all practices associated with competing in track and field, including submitting my whereabouts information,” Goodwin said. “It appears that because I did not inform USADA of my plans, my name was inadvertently included in their 2017 testing pool.”