© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The Reuben Foster saga continues to loom over the 49ers, and CEO Jed York’s patience appears to be running thin.
In mid-January, the 23-year-old linebacker was arrested for second-degree possession of marijuana in his home state of Alabama. One month later, he was arrested in Los Gatos for alleged threats, violence, and possession of an assault weapon. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office has yet to decide whether to pursue criminal charges.
On Wednesday morning, York addressed the Foster situation.
“We’d love Reuben to be on this team,” York told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco during NFL owners meetings. “And we’d love him to participate for us, but if he’s not doing things off the field that allow us to be able to rely on him – or he’s doing something that we’re not comfortable with off the field and it’s proven that’s what’s going on — I think (Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch) have said then you’re just going to have to move on.”
While York hasn’t met with Foster, Lynch and Shanahan have reportedly kept in close contact with the linebacker.
“He has put us in a tough situation,” Shanahan told Maiocco earlier this month. “Hopefully, it works out for all sides. But that is realistic. If I said it wasn’t, that wouldn’t be very smart of me.”
Foster’s recent pair of run-ins with the law isn’t the first time he has made headlines for off-the-field incidents. As the nation’s top linebacker in the 2016-17 college football season, he was projected as a top-10 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He tested positive for a diluted sample at the 2017 NFL Combine, which is considered a failed drug test.
Consequently, he dropped all the way to the 49ers at No. 31 overall, which was initially considered a steal as he blossomed during his rookie year. Foster started 10 games and produced 72 total tackles last season. He won November’s Defensive Rookie of the Month award after amassing 30 tackles in three games.
The pre-draft narrative surrounding Foster has resurfaced after his recent alleged misdoings: he’s dominant on the field but can be distracting away from it.
“From my conversations with John and Kyle, Reuben is very cognizant of where his position is right now, and his time with the 49ers could potentially be over if he continues to do things outside of the team that aren’t what we want him to be a part of,” York told Maiocco.
The Foster saga has become a waiting game as the DA’s office mulls a decision, which could determine how the 49ers operate in the 2018 NFL Draft, starting on April 26.
The 49ers re-signed Brock Coyle earlier this month, providing insurance at the inside linebacker position. Weak-side linebacker Malcolm Smith is expected to return from a torn pectoral he suffered last season.
Depending on the DA’s conclusion, Foster could miss the start of the 49ers’ player offseason program starting on April 16.
“It’s been weeks,” York told Maiocco. “I’m not going to say we’re satisfied. This is something that’s going to be an everyday situation, and not just for Reuben, but for anybody.”