Aldon Smith Under Police Investigation

Troubled Raiders pass rusher Aldon Smith is under “active” police investigation for an alleged domestic violence incident that took place over the weekend, according to TMZ. Police responded to a phone call placed from a San Francisco home early Saturday morning and took a report after speaking to Smith and the alleged victim. Smith was not arrested.

Aldon Smith (vertical)

If anything comes of the police investigation, it could be a death blow to Smith’s NFL career. The 27-year-old has already accrued five arrests since entering the NFL as the 49ers’ first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in 2011. He’s also amid his second suspension, one that cost him a significant portion of the 2015 season and the entire 2016 campaign. Smith’s latest ban came after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and he’s currently on track to gain reinstatement in March. But another serious off-field slip-up before then – which this could be – would surely prevent the league from allowing him to return.

While Smith is under Raiders control through next season, team owner Mark Davis has taken a strong stand against domestic violence, as Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News notes (Twitter link). As evidenced in the cases of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Josh Brown, all of whom were in the news for domestic violence incidents in recent years, it’s difficult to find work in the league these days with such a black mark on your resume. Like Hardy, Smith has been especially productive on the field. In 59 career regular-season games, Smith has amassed 47.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, though his immense talent has largely gone to waste over the past couple years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

View Comments (20)