Coming out of Alabama in 2017, Reuben Foster was a highly touted and sought after recruit. He was fast, ferocious and hard hitting. He was an All-American, All-SEC, Butkus Award winning inside linebacker who had the skills and speed to be the next Luke Kuechly or Bobby Wagner. When the 49ers drafted him along with defensive end Solomon Thomas, it was thought that the team had finally found the answers to their defensive woes. While Thomas has yet to live up to the high expectations for him, Foster has found himself on a downward spiral that may have finally ended his NFL career after just one season.
Foster's story is a a tragic and frustrating one; a young talent with so much potential unable to control his anger and violent nature off the field. From the beginning there were questions about his hotheadedness. Foster was sent home from the 2017 combine after getting into an altercation with a hospital worker and failed a drug test. Despite this he was still selected with the No. 31 overall pick.
In January 2018 Foster was arrested in Alabama for marijuana possession. Charges were later dismissed after he completed a diversion program. Foster was arrested a month later for domestic violence and weapon possession charges. The domestic violence charges were dismissed after the victim recanted her story and the weapons charge was reduced. Despite this the league suspended Foster for two games at the start of the 2018 season for violating the league's conduct policy.
This past weekend Foster was again arrested for domestic violence. This comes just one month after a domestic disturbance call against Foster and his girlfriend in Santa Clara. Finally tired of the ongoing legal troubles with Foster, the 49ers released the young linebacker.
Foster's troubling start at the 2017 Combine should have been enough of a deterrent to keep teams from taking a chance on him. Sadly teams are willing to take a chance on players with checkered histories if they show a modicum of talent. Foster will bear the brunt of his ultimate demise, but the 49ers have some level of culpability in not more carefully vetting Foster when early red flags were raised about his character. The league is quicker to condemn players for drug use than domestic violence or assaults against women. When players can be suspended an entire season for failed drug tests but a mere three games for an assault on a woman it shows a deep level of hypocrisy. Is the NFL more concerned about the product on the field than the moral character of the players that represent it?
The sad part is this may not be the end of Foster's career. There is still a chance that another team will be willing to take a chance on him. This would not be the first time a team has given a player with domestic violence issues a second chance in the league. While ultimately Greg Hardy's comeback story failed, the fact he was even given a second chance does not speak well of the priorities of the league. If this league wants to continue to grow its female viewership they need to do a better job of keeping players and personnel with a history of violence against women out of the league.
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