The San Francisco 49ers are releasing Reuben Foster after he was arrested on a domestic violence charge on Saturday.
Foster was arrested in Tampa, Florida on a domestic violence battery charge ahead of the 49ers’ game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
The linebacker had a previous domestic violence charge dropped in May after his ex-girlfriend recanted her statements that alleged Foster caused her bodily harm.
The 24-year-old served a two-game suspension at the start of the 2018 season for a marijuana-related charge as well as a gun possession charge stemming from the dropped domestic violence charge.
A first-round pick in 2017, Foster enjoyed an excellent rookie campaign, finishing with 72 tackles in 10 games.
The San Francisco 49ers are releasing Reuben Foster.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) 25 November 2018
However, shoulder and hamstring issues have led to a decline in his performances in a disappointing second year and this latest off-field incident has led the Niners to decide to cut their losses.
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San Francisco, 2-8 on the season without injured starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, are in position to hold the first overall pick in the 2019 draft.
However, given the emergence of rookie Fred Warner and their host of other defensive needs, it is tough to see them spending it on a middle linebacker.
