The San Francisco 49ers will kick off their offseason program on Monday. One player who will not take part is linebacker Reuben Foster, who is facing multiple felony charges following an altercation and arrest at his residence on February 11.
"Reuben Foster will not participate in team activities as he is tending to his legal matters," said 49ers CEO Jed York, general manager John Lynch, and head coach Kyle Shanahan via a statement issued by the team. "As previously stated, his future with the team will be determined by the information revealed during the legal process."
The announcement means Foster will not participate in team meetings or organized activities. It is unknown if he will be allowed access to facility resources during the legal process.
Foster's arrest resulted from an altercation with a 28-year-old woman who was his live-in girlfriend at the time. The alleged victim suffered bruises and a ruptured eardrum.
"The victim told responding sheriff's deputies and Los Gatos police that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head 8 to 10 times," read a news release by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office on Thursday.
Foster faces charges of domestic violence with an allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, and possession of an assault weapon. He faces more than 11 years in prison if convicted, per the release from the DA's office.
The 49ers made Foster the 31st-overall pick out of Alabama in last year's draft. He started 10 games while registering 72 combined tackles with a pass defensed. Foster was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for November during the 2017 season.
Foster has been around the 49ers' facilities before Thursday's charges issued by the DA's office. Bay Area News Group reached out to the 49ers and the NFL regarding the charges against the linebacker and learned he had been allowed to work out at the facility since the arrest while the team awaited word from the DA's office.
There had been reports that the 49ers might allow Foster to take part in team activities while the legal matter is resolved.
"The team feels he needs some sort of structure at this moment because if he is left up to his own devices in terms of not having any structure, having all of this free time, they don't necessarily know how he is going to respond," reported Steve Wyche of NFL Network on Friday.
Foster was arraigned on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to enter a plea at a hearing on April 30, according to NFL Network.
