After a while, enough is enough and the Niners officially had enough.
By Jeff Weisinger
Following his arrest from a hit-and-run incident Thursday night, the San Francisco 49ers officially released 25-year-old linebacker Aldon Smith on Friday.
“This organization has tried very hard to help Aldon fight his issue. Although he is no longer a member of this team, our support and concern for him will continue,” the team stated.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ml-p837gEQ?rel=0]Smith was booked into the Santa Clara County jail and released Friday morning on $26,000 bond. It was his third arrest on suspicion of drunken driving since entering the NFL in 2011 as a first-round pick to the Niners out of Missouri.
According to ESPN’s Jim Trotter, Niners general manager Trent Baalke met with Smith after he was released from jail Friday morning and after Smith refused to take responsibility for his arrest, Baalke made the decision to cut him.
And there it is from the police in Santa Clara: 49ers LB Aldon Smith was arrested Thursday night for hit & run, DUI and vandalism.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2015
#49ers confirm Aldon Smith’s release. Four seasons, 44 sacks, 5 arrests
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) August 7, 2015
Smith was arrested on suspicion of DUI in January 2012, a charge that was eventually reduced to reckless driving, then faced three felony weapons charges in June of that same year stemming from a party at his home. According to police, several shots were fired, two party goers were injured and Smith was stabbed. He pleaded not guilty and the weapons charges were later reduced.
A year later in September 2013, Smith was arrested again and charged with DUI after a car accident. He entered rehab voluntarily and missed five games of the 2013 season. In July 2014, Smith was sentenced to 11 days of work release for that DUI.
A month after his work release, Smith was suspended for the first nine games of the 2014 season for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct and substance-abuse policies, in connection to his 2013 DUI arrest.
Smith was also arrested in April 2014 at Los Angeles International airport for being uncooperative during a random secondary screening and telling a TSA agent he had a bomb. However, no charges were filed in that incident.
His arrest on Friday morning comes just days after Baalke talked about re-signing Smith to a new deal in San Francisco. Smith was entering his final year of his rookie deal with the Niners.
“Aldon’s like any young player,” Baalke said. “He’s growing up, he’s maturing. You see that with a lot of these guys. Some of them get themselves in a few more situations that you wish they didn’t.”
After losing Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement this offseason, the Niners are now struck with another blow to their linebacking corps in losing Smith.
During his four years in San Francisco, Smith recorded 44 total sacks, getting 33.5 of those in just his first two years alone, highlighted by a 2012 season where his 19.5 sacks helped lead the Niners to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994.
He was fifth in sacks (14) in the league in 2011, second in 2012 (19.5) and was a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro in 2012.
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