Aldon Smith has checked into a rehab facility

Aldon Smith’s off the field issues have been well documented, including a dubious social media video that surfaced recently, so news he has entered a rehab facility is not surprising.

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The issues the led to the San Francisco 49ers cutting ties with outside linebacker Aldon Smith did not scare off the Oakland Raiders heading into the 2015 season. The former top-10 overall pick had 3.5 sacks in nine games for the Raiders last season, before being given a one-year suspension in November, and the team re-signed him this offseason with the idea of welcoming him back once he was eligible.

But news of a probation violation attached to a previous DUI surfaced in June, followed by a video on Smith’s Periscope account that appeared to show him smoking a joint earlier this month. Smith denied it was him in the “fire up session” video, even though evidence suggested otherwise.

On Friday, TMZ reported Smith has checked into a rehab facility. He previously went into rehab in 2013, after two DUI arrests, and even without a reported reason this time around it’s pretty clear Smith is still struggling with some sort of addiction.

Without knowing how long Smith will need to be in rehab this time, it’s unfair to speculate if he might be able to resume his career once he’s theoretically eligible. Sitting out the entire 2016 season might be the best path anyway, and Smith will still turn just 27 years old on Sept. 25. So he could easily continue his career in 2017, assuming his off-field issues can be put behind him and he is reinstated.

Even if Smith finds his way back to an NFL field, it’s fair to assume his three seasons with the 49ers will stand as the best years of his career. With 42 sacks over 43 games from 2011-2013, including 19.5 sacks a second-year man, Smith was on track to be a prolific pass rusher for many years to come. But those kind of stats are far less important than a man’s life and health, so hopefully Smith gets the help he needs once and for all.

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