What should the 49ers do with Reuben Foster after his domestic violence arrest?
By Chris Wilson
On Sunday, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested for the second time in as many months — this time for allegations related to a domestic dispute and ownership of an assault weapon. What should the Niners do with their star linebacker?
After enjoying a few days of good news after the San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year, $137.5 million contract, Niner fans were subjected to some devastating news on Sunday, when they learned that linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested for his actions during an alleged domestic altercation, and the possession of a potentially illegal firearm.
Foster’s second arrest in as many months — in January, he was arrested for the possession of marijuana while in Alabama — has placed the 49ers and general manager John Lynch in a difficult situation. What should they do with their star linebacker, and the heart of the Niner defense?
Nothing. At least not yet.
San Francisco 49ers
As expected, as soon as the news broke, hordes of fans immediately took to social media, demanding Foster’s release. Over the next two days, many reporters and members of the media concluded that Foster’s tenure with the team will be short-lived, including NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco:
"From the moment the 49ers traded up to select Foster with the No. 31, they envisioned him as being a dynamic, game-changing player for a long time.But, no longer can they look at him as someone who will be a cornerstone for a long time. Regardless of what the investigation uncovers, the 49ers must take the mindset this offseason that he will never make another tackle for them."
Others — including Niner Noise’s Peter Panacy — outlined not only why Foster will be released, but why he should be released:
"There’s nothing Foster will be able to do to transform his image from this point onward. It’s tarnished forever, if these charges are indeed accurate. And it’s going to be tough for San Francisco fans to pull for the oh-so promising player out of Alabama.And stop with the whole “due process” stuff. That’s for legal proceedings. Not for the privilege of playing in the NFL."
It’s true that playing in the NFL is a privilege — just ask Colin Kaepernick. It’s also true that if Foster is indeed a “girlfriend beater,” many fans — like myself — will never wear a Foster jersey again.
But while NFL players aren’t afforded the same due process as they receive in the criminal justice system, facts still matter — and we don’t know all of the facts.
Foster was charged with crimes in two areas of the law that are complex: domestic disputes and firearms.
In domestic disputes, a number of questions need to be answered: First, what actually happened? Who resides in the home? Was an assault committed? Was battery committed? What are the circumstances? We need these, and many other questions answered before we can come to an informed conclusion.
Firearms is an area of the law that’s also not so black-and-white. Often, the modification of a weapon, or the way a particular weapon is stored can determine the weapon’s legality. A firearm’s legality often varies from state to state, and a firearm can even be illegal even if it’s not on the official list of illegal firearms in that particular state.
Hopefully, the 49ers will wait for all the important facts to emerge before they make any final decision.
Next: How Foster's arrest affects 49ers' draft plans
If Foster committed a heinous crime, I no longer want to see him in red-and-gold. But if he didn’t, I want to see the San Franciso 49ers give Reuben Foster the help that he obviously needs to succeed — both on and off the football field.