NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers have not made decision on Aldon Smith option
By Josh Hill
There has been a lot made about Aldon Smith and his future with the San Francisco 49ers ever since he was arrested for a fake bomb report at LAX last week. But while he is still facing criminal charges and league discipline that will almost certainly be extremely stiff, there’s the question of whether or not the 49ers will be picking up the fifth year option on Smith’s rookie contract.
San Francisco has until May 3 to make a decision on whether to pick up the option, which makes a lot of sense to do from a football standpoint but is a bit more muddy in the moral department. Despite multiple reports from ESPN and other outlets, PFT.com is reporting that no decision has been made yet one way or the other.
"Per a league source with knowledge of the team’s thinking, however, the 49ers still haven’t made a decision. And they don’t have to make a decision until May 3, the deadline for picking up the option."
It makes a lot of sense for the 49ers to pick up the fifth year on Smith’s contract as he’ll likely be suspended for most of, if not all of, this season and he’s still a productive player. But if the 49ers but him lose, it could be a move that the public applauded as the standing with Smith at the moment is not positive and picking up his option might be hard for the Niners to justify.