Report: Raiders’ Aldon Smith detained by police for hitting cop car
Aldon Smith, who is up for reinstatement, could have hurt his chances with this latest incident.
Aldon Smith was once one of the NFL’s top defensive players, breaking out with the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and 2012 with 33.5 sacks. However, off the field issues plagued his final few years there, leading to his release before the 2015 season.
Smith would join the Raiders in 2015 and produce three-and-half sacks in nine games, but get suspended for one year due to a hit-and-run incident that violated the NFL’s conduct policy. He missed the 2016 season but is up for reinstatement.
Well, there’s a chance his odds of returning to the NFL were hindered. Evan Rosenblum of TMZ is reporting that Smith was recently detained by police. He allegedly “smashed” into a cop car while intoxicated.
Aldon Smith detained by police. Cops say he was drunk when car he was in smashed into cop car.
— evan rosenblum (@EvRosenblum) March 9, 2017
It’s difficult to speculate on further details and what could happen with Smith, but this can’t help his chances of being in the NFL for the 2017 season. This is something that should be reviewed by the NFL and play into his situation, which could prevent him from returning.
For the Oakland Raiders, it seems unlikely he’d come back unless they’re willing to handle the 2011 NFL Draft pick’s legal issues, which may be a distraction. However, it’s been one-and-a-half seasons since his last game with Oakland, so maybe he’s been out of their plans since 2015. They can’t count on him anymore and may not be able to again, so seeing him appear in a Raider jersey — or anyone else’s — would be a surprise.
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The situation for Aldon Smith is a disappointing one after he showed so much promise in his first few years in the NFL. The talent was even shown in flashes during his time with the Raiders. However, he may not be able to show it anymore.