© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Sixty days have lapsed since the day 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested on allegations of felony domestic violence, threats, and possession of an assault weapon. ‘Domestic violence’ is an ambiguous term, and until the Santa Clara District Attorney Office released specifics, the seriousness of Foster’s alleged crime was uncertain.
Thursday morning, the DA’s office charged Foster with three felonies, while specifying the jarring details of the Feb. 11 incident.
According to the report, “Foster dragged (his girlfriend) by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times.” Foster was charged for three separate felonies, which include “inflicting great bodily injury, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, and possession of an assault weapon.”
If he is eventually convicted, he could face more than 11 years in prison, according to the DA’s report. The plea hearing has been delayed until April 30, two days after the NFL Draft, prolonging the case even more.
About 90 minutes after the initial DA’s report was released Thursday morning, the 49ers released a statement identifying the “disturbing” accusations. By all accounts, Foster is still employed.
He shouldn’t be. The 49ers should cut him. And the longer they wait, the more backlash CEO Jed York, general manager John Lynch, and head coach Kyle Shanahan will receive.
That they haven’t already released the 24-year-old linebacker means the 49ers believe they have enough information to disprove the DA’s report. But it’s hard to imagine that after two months of gathering specifics within the case, not even a fraction of the report’s details is accurate.
Last year, cornerback Tramaine Brock was cut only one day after he was arrested for suspicion of domestic violence. His charges were eventually dismissed.
“We spent most of the day trying to figure out all the information you can, as much as you can get,” Shanahan said at the time. “And you never do get all of it, but there was enough there that we felt it was the decision we had to make and move on from.”
The victim in Brock’s case, his girlfriend at the time, had visible injuries, according to the Santa Clara Police Department’s report. So what’s the difference between Brock’s case and Foster’s?
The 49ers are likely doing everything they can to learn more about the situation before releasing a young star who had looked like a defensive cornerstone for years to come. But in the case Thursday morning’s report is completely inaccurate, which seems unlikely, will 49ers fans still welcome Foster with open arms? The early alleged incidents against Foster are disturbing and have already resonated with many 49ers fans.
These are the most serious alleged charges against Foster, but he has a long, documented past filled with behavioral issues.
Foster tested positive for a diluted sample at the 2017 NFL Combine, then was sent home after confronting a hospital worker due to long lines for medical exams. Those incidents played a key role in Foster, a consensus top-15 talent, ‘dropping’ to the 31st overall pick.
The 49ers knew they were bringing in a temperamental person. They drafted him anyways, but the off-field issues haven’t stopped.
In January, Foster was arrested for possession of marijuana in his home state of Alabama. A month later, he was arrested for the three aforementioned felonies that have the gravity to warrant prison time.
Domestic violent cases are sensitive and, if not handled promptly and correctly, can compromise reputations, as we have seen in recent history.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell initially suspended Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for only two games for assaulting his then-fiancee, despite video surfacing of Rice dragging her out of a hotel. Goodell was widely rebuked. Once the full video was released, Rice was suspended indefinitely and released.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones signed defensive end Greg Hardy after he assaulted his girlfriend and reportedly threatened to kill her. Like Goodell, Jones received intense scrutiny for seemingly ignoring the incident or discounting it as a thing of the past.
Each situation is different. But if we can extract anything from these prior cases, it’s that reputations are at stake, especially as time goes on.
If the 49ers don’t swiftly release Foster, it will take a negative effect in the minds of many 49ers fans, regardless of the final verdict.