Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster headed to the team's facility in Santa Clara on Monday to meet with team officials. Foster was arrested at his Los Gatos home on Sunday and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of domestic violence, threats, and possession of an assault weapon.
LB Reuben Foster went in to the facility to meet with #49ers officials today following his arrest yesterday, I'm told. The team has said it's going through the fact-finding process and no quick resolution is expected. Police, NFL and SF are all doing due diligence
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 12, 2018
The 49ers have stated that they continue to gather information and Foster's visit may have been merely part of their "fact-finding" process.
Sunday's incident took place between Foster and the alleged victim – a woman who has reportedly been in a long-term relationship with the star linebacker.
The weapon, which The Mercury News reported as "a single SIG Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle," was found by officers in Foster's home while responding to the call from the alleged victim.
This latest arrest was the second in the past month for Foster. On January 12, he was arrested and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The 49ers have continually stressed that a player's character is just as important as their ability to play football. As recently as the week leading to the Senior Bowl, 49ers general manager John Lynch discussed that aspect of the scouting process.
"That's critical because you start defining the type of guys you want in your building," Lynch told NFL Network's Alex Flanagan. "As important as the talent is, that piece is just as important. You look at the successful organizations, and they've figured that out."
It will be interesting to see what action the 49ers take in response to this latest incident or if they will simply let the NFL handle the situation. Of course, that will depend on what the team and the league learn during each's fact-gathering process. Under the NFL's domestic violence policy, players are subject to a baseline suspension of six games without pay following the first incident and a lifetime ban from the league for a second infraction.
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