NFL suspends 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster, two games for weapons and drug offenses

49ers Reuben Foster's linebacker has escaped a major penalty under the law for an offense of weapons and a drug offense, but he will not avoid the NFL's punishment. On Tuesday, the NFL suspended Foster twice for violating the NFL's rules of substance abuse and conduct

Foster, who featured an outstanding season in 2017, missed by injuries, will miss the Vikings ( road) and Lions (at home). He will be able to come back in time for the 3 rd week clash against the Chiefs.

"I accept the league's decision and I'm sorry that my mistakes hurt my team," Foster said in a statement. "I have a responsibility to the 49ers, our fans and our community, and I'm committed to learning from this situation and making better choices in the future." that I have received in the last five months has humiliated me.

Best Bets

49ers general manager John Lynch said in his own statement that the team "supports" the league's decision to suspend Foster.

"Our organization understands and supports the decision of the League," he said. "Although we are disappointed that Reuben is not with our team for the first two games of the season, we will continue to work with him to make better decisions and eliminate unnecessary distractions." We are encouraged to see Reuben take responsibility for his mistakes, "

The suspension stems from Foster's tumultuous offseason, which involved several off-season arrests. In January, the Alabama police accused him of pot possession, but the case was dismissed in May. Earlier this month, Foster pleaded no contest for possession of weapons and was sentenced to two years probation, 232 hours of community service, and $ 235 fine . Foster also had domestic violence charges dismissed in May.

According to the 49ers' release, the suspension is directly related to drug and weapons charges – not the charges of domestic violence. After the drug and weapons charges were dismissed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that the league "threatened" a suspension of several parties for Foster. Foster, picked up with the 31st pick in 2017, appeared in 10 games during his rookie season, accumulating 59 solo tackles and placing fourth in the league's best linebacker under Pro Football Focus & # 39; Scale of evaluation. So losing Foster for two games – against two tough teams – is a tough loss for the 49ers.

However, given all the serious legal issues that it has generated during the off-season, losing Foster for only two games is not the worst scenario for the team or the player . At one point, while domestic violence was ongoing, Lynch acknowledged that the team would cut off Foster if the charges proved to be true.