Redskins claim LB Reuben Foster off waivers

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November 27, 2018

by Steve Thomas

The NFL awarded the contract of inside linebacker Reuben Foster to the Washington Redskins on Tuesday afternoon.  Foster was waived by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday following an alleged domestic violence incident at the 49ers’ team hotel in Tampa Bay this past Saturday.  According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Redskins were the only team to put in a waiver claim on Foster.

Foster, who attended high school in Georgia and stands 6’1″ and weighs 228 pounds, was a 2017 first round draft pick by the 49ers out of the University of Alabama.  He played 16 games in two seasons for San Francisco, with a total of 101 tackles, including 84 solo tackles, and has undeniably been one of the best, if not the best, inside linebacker in the NFL from his draft class.  If he plays for the Redskins, he will fill a major need in the Redskins’ front seven.

Foster came from a tragic and heartbreaking background as a child in which his father shot his mother when Foster was an infant, leading to his father’s imprisonment, and has already had a significant amount of controversy during his NFL career.  Foster failed his drug test at the 2017 NFL Combine when his sample was found to be diluted.  He was arrested in Alabama on January 13, 2018, for possession of marijuana, the charge being dismissed after Foster completed a pre-trial diversion program.  He was arrested again in California on February 11, 2018, on suspicion of domestic violence, criminal threats, and weapons possession charges involving the mother of his child, Elissa Ennis.  Ms. Ennis later recanted her allegations and testified under oath that she had fabricated the entire story against Foster, which resulted in the domestic violence and criminal threats charges being dismissed.  Foster pled no contest to the weapons charge after it was reduced to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to two years probation, 232 hours of community service, and a $235 fine.

The NFL suspended Foster for the first two games of the 2018 season as a result of the January drug arrest and the February incident.

This latest arrest also involved Ennis.  Foster has been charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery in Hillsborough County, Florida.  Ennis told police that Foster allegedly slapped a phone out of her hand, pushed her chest, and slapped her in the face with an open hand [1].  The 49ers released him on Monday as a result, with head coach Kyle Shanahan citing the franchise’s zero tolerance policy towards domestic violence.

Redskins Senior Vice President of Player Personnel released a statement regarding Washington’s claim of Foster, stating:

Today we have claimed the rights to LB Reuben Foster.  The Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben.  If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone.  Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the Burgundy and Gold as a player.   That being said, we decided to investigate the situation with Reuben further by claiming his rights after candid conversations with a number of his ex-Alabama teammates and current Redskins players who were overwhelmingly supportive of us taking this chance.  Nothing is promised to Reuben, but we are hopeful being around so many of his former teammates and friends will eventually provide him with the best possible environment to succeed both personally and professionally.

Schefter further reported that today the NFL placed Foster on the Commissioner’s Exempt List as a result of Saturday’s arrest pending investigation of the incident, which means that Foster may not practice or attend games, but may be reasonably present in the facility for meetings, workouts, and similar activities.  Considering Williams’ statement and the NFL’s action today, it appears unlikely that Foster will see game action for the Redskins this season.  He will not count against Washington’s 53-man active roster while on the exempt list.

Foster may be disciplined under the NFL’s domestic violence policy for the Saturday incident.  If the NFL determines that Foster has violated the policy, Foster is subject to a baseline suspension of 6 games; however, the 6 games can be adjusted up or down by the NFL depending on the facts and circumstances of the incident.  Foster’s suspension earlier this year resulted from the drug and weapons charges, not the since-recanted domestic violence allegation by Ennis [2], so a suspension under the domestic violence policy would be Foster’s first offense.  A second offense merits banishment from the NFL with an opportunity to apply for readmission after a year.

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[1] https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2018/11/25/reuben-foster-arrested-domestic-violence-released-49ers/

[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/49ers/2018/07/03/reuben-foster-suspended-san-francisco/756014002/