Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster's future is in the hands of the courts. After that, his NFL future may be in the hands of the Washington Redskins, who claimed the linebacker off of waivers on Monday.
The move by Washington is controversial. Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, Doug Williams, released the following statement after news of the acquisition broke.
"Today we have claimed the rights to LB Reuben Foster. The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben. If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone. Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the Burgundy and Gold as a player. That being said, we decided to investigate the situation with Reuben further by claiming his rights after candid conversations with a number of his ex-Alabama teammates and current Redskins players who were overwhelmingly supportive of us taking this chance. Nothing is promised to Reuben, but we are hopeful being around so many of his former teammates and friends will eventually provide him with the best possible environment to succeed both personally and professionally."
Foster was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence at the 49ers' hotel in Tampa, Florida on Saturday night and the team announced on Sunday morning that he would be released. The roster move became official on Monday, and it was assumed that Foster would not garner interest because of his looming legal troubles.
Saturday's incident was the second accusation of domestic violence against Foster in a 10-month span. Foster was arrested at his home on February 11, and his offseason was drawn out by his legal situation.
Foster's on-and-off-again girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, was the alleged victim in February's incident and is once again in the latest incident. The judge in the earlier case ruled in May that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case after Ennis testified that the charges against Foster were based on her lies.
Outside of the legal situation, Foster could once again face suspension from the NFL. He served a two-game suspension at the beginning of the regular season for violating the NFL's conduct and substances of abuse policies.
Foster was placed on the Commissioner Exempt list, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That will allow him to remain with Washington and be paid but not practice or play in games.