The San Francisco 49ers have released Aldon Smith after he was arrested Thursday night, allegedly for a hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism, according to the Santa Clara California police department.
NBC Bay Area's Robert Handa reports that the hit-and-run happened after Smith got into an argument with a neighbor. After he was released from jail on Friday, Smith told KTVU reporter Janine De la Vega that "it wasn't a DUI."
This is the fifth time the 25-year-old All-Pro has been arrested in the past three years. Three of the arrests have related to DUIs.
The linebacker's string of legal troubles dates back to his rookie season. In January 2012, he was arrested for DUI in Miami. The following June, he suffered stab wounds while trying to break up a fight at a party in his home. As part of that incident, Smith was charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon in October 2013.
In September 2013, entering the season as the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Year, Smith caught his second DUI in as many years in San Jose, California. He was also charged with possession of marijuana. Following that arrest, he took a leave of absence from the team and voluntarily entered a rehab facility for alcohol abuse.
Upon leaving rehab in October 2013, Smith didn't stay out of the arms of law for long. In April 2014, he was arrested for allegedly making bomb threats at Los Angeles International Airport. Although the Los Angeles City Attorney's office decided to drop a charge of falsely reporting a bomb, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Smith for the first nine games of the 2014 season.
Since leaving rehab in 2013, Smith has maintained that he's sober, although his latest arrest would seem to indicate he has relapsed. Earlier this week, 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke spoke positively about Smith's progression since returning from suspension.
“Aldon's like any young player, he's growing up, he's maturing. You see that with a lot of these guys,” Baalke said to the San Jose Mercury News.
“Some of them get themselves in a few more situations that you wish they didn't," he continued. "If you asked them, I think they'd say the same thing. Really pleased with the way he's handled things, the way he's working both personally and professionally.”
Once again, Smith's personal troubles have gotten in the way of his professional life just as he was beginning to earn back the team's trust. In March, the 49ers restructured his $9.75 million contract into a pay-as-you-play deal.
"He's basically saying, 'I'm willing to bet on myself,'" Smith's agent Doug Hendrickson said of the contract at the time.
Following Thursday's arrest, Smith's bet is in real danger of not paying out.
This post has been updated throughout to reflect that Smith has been released from jail and cut by the San Francisco 49ers.
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