Aldon Smith highly unlikely to be playing at start of 2014 season

Posted by Mike Florio on June 25, 2014, 1:33 PM EDT
AP

Good news, Cowboys fans.  Possibly good news, Bears fans.  Perhaps good news, Cardinals fans.

With 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith facing July 25 sentencing after pleading no contest to DUI and multiple felony weapons charges, Smith almost definitely will not be available when the 49ers commence the regular season at Dallas.  Smith possibly won’t be around beyond Week One, too.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Smith likely won’t receive jail time at his sentencing, if he can stay out of trouble over the next month.  However, regardless of whether he receives simply an order of probation, the league office remains expected to suspend him for at least one game, possibly more.

The league won’t take action until Smith is sentenced, and the sentence will impact that duration of any suspension.  Either way, don’t expect to see Smith on the field when the 49ers visit the Cowboys to start the 2014 regular season.

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63 responses to “Aldon Smith highly unlikely to be playing at start of 2014 season”

  1. Good old Santa Clara…they don’t want to upset the cash-cow that is the 49ers, so no sentence for Aldon. Remember this when you’re whining about Jim Irsay.

  4. With all the uproar about gun violence how can he not get a little time. Btw, you go to the airport and yell that you got a bomb then tell them you were just kidding and see what happens to you.

  5. Cowboys fans, Bears fans and Cardinal fans, go ahead and get comfortable knowing Smith won’t be there.

    And when Tank Carradine makes his debut, you’ll wish Smith was in there instead.

  7. There’s nothing to see here folks. no special treatment of any kind. Now move along and stop asking questions..

  9. As a Niner fan I don’t want to be the guy supporting the bonehead Aldon Smith. He indeed many mistakes and deserves suspension. Even though some of the facts thrown in are wrong, he does not deserve any benefit of doubt.

    People like him are bringing down the team image and are doing serious disservice to model citizens like Willis, Bowman and Niners.

  10. No worries. As long as he’s back for Thanksgiving. Did you know that the Seattle Sehawks HAVE NOT WON A GAME in the bay area since 2008!

    #Truth

  11. I love me some Trolls, they make me laugh with their comments as if they work for the nfl and have a true understanding of how the league works. muhahahha

  13. Does anyone actually read and understand the charges he is facing? In all likelihood, a ‘normal’ person wouldnt see jail time either. 1. He was in possession of firearms, not any type of gun violence. 2. He said he ‘was the bomb’ after being pulled out of line at the airport by TSA(lame), and 3. If there is one serious offense that he should be penalized for, its a DUI-that people don’t get jail time for, just fat fines and service. Ya he is screwed up, but everyone’s outrage should be directed at guys like Darren Sharper and Lawrence Taylor-they are sickos!

  14. The 49er way:

    … After you crash into a tree and get arrested, come to practice the same day and play Sunday.

  15. 1 game? He should be wacked for at least a year!
    Drunk driving on his way to practice, Gun charges, bomb threats at an airport.
    Goodell should bench him for the year and require him to seek help, treatment, and follow up to be reinstated. Show the league that playing football is a privilege not a right.

  18. I’d be in prison for the next 20 years if I pulled that crap in an airport. But when you’re an athlete, it’s apparently okay. Gotta love the judicial system in this country.

  22. One game, wow if true. Way to lay the hammer down on a repeat offender.

    I wonder what the penalty would be if he wasn’t a star player on the 49ers?

  23. Harbaughs “Above Reproach” makes me sicker than the next guy but if Smith manages to stay out of jail after all this trouble then maybe they are. SMH

  25. Guns, violence, drunk driving, bomb threats at airport security lines…1-3 games? Darryl Washington misses a few pee tests for weed and he gets a year.

    Who here thinks A Smith doesn’t smoke weed? Up vote if he smokes, down if he doesn’t.

  26. I’m sure the DA will enjoy watching Aldon jump offsides in critical situations from his luxury box at some point during the season…

  27. He ought to be fined, suspended, and spend a year or so in jail. 49ers did ok without him. The off season is too long.

  30. Would like to see the sentencing guidelines for these type of offenses.

    Multiple DUI charges usually are more restrictive.

  33. Aldon has missed 5 games(self/team imposed) already for the gun charges and DUI.

    Marshawn Lynch had two different sets of gun charges in two different states, Two DUIs, a felony hit and run where he almost killed a woman drunk at 3am. He only missed three games.

  35. Marshawn Lynch plead guilty for felony gun charges and DUI, just like Smith. No suspension for Marshawn Lynch, why should Smith get suspended?

  36. Sorry, the lady that was hit and run wasn’t even close to anything but needing a few stitches…
    None of them were felonies.. .they were all misdemeanors…
    100 dollar fine on the DUI hit and run
    Community service on the offense in Oakland. (He was right at the legal limit, was not over the limit).
    There was only one gun charge. ML pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.
    Should get the facts straight before posting.

  39. Considering how many mistakes he has made, we should consider ourselves lucky if he only misses a few weeks.

    He hasn’t been able to stay out of trouble since entering the league in 2011. He has to go a few years clean to prove he has learned something from all of this.

    Tank is a DE who should turn some heads. But the guy who will likely see the most snaps in Smith’s stead is Corey Lemonier. Kid’s got some potential, and he knows how to stay out of the police blotter.

  40. The whiners think they are going to win on thanksgiving because of all done smith… LOL didnt help in the NFC championship now did it.

    Bottom line though… The guy does deserve some time in jail. Illegal guns in Cali, any regular joe would go to jail for 10 years over that but again just like they did with Rapernick the front office paid big bucks to get this swept under the rug.

  41. The niners fans believe that they will still be in contention on Thanksgiving.
    Team is collapsing…
    God is getting back at Harbaugh for his “above reproach” comment.

  42. Niner fans should wait for Tank Carradine to have at least one full-contact NFL practice under his belt before they declare him the next Aldon Smith. Wait until he puts his pads on at least

    It’s embarrassing

  43. We need to cut ties with this guy he is becoming a distraction. This is not the 49er way we need to be more accountable like the current SB champs.

  44. As a Seahawks fan I say, just take the year off Aldon. You’ve earned it…please?

  45. Don’t need Aldon to win on Thanksgiving. Seahawks haven’t won there in over 5 years… with or without Aldon.

  47. I’m not sure what kind of dream world some of you are living in, but in the real world, nobody does jail time for failing to make a legally required alteration to a firearm which was legally purchased in another state. That’s a fine for anybody, whether they’re a pro athlete or a working Joe.

    And two DUI’s, neither of which involved injury or reckless driving, are never a jail sentence. That’s loss of license at most, probation and a stiff fine along with some kind of court ordered class or program.

    The airport incident is being blown out of proportion. If it was anything like what some of you are insinuating, charges would have been filed by the DA in LA. People get angry and yell at TSA agents in airports every day of the year.

    I get that you people hate the Niners, but you should also try to get into the real world on this thing.

  49. given this is his first suspension I would guess 4 games, 6 wouldn’t be unprecedented or unfair, but to say other teams should be happy not to face him Lemonier and Carradine aren’t going to suck.

  52. This might come as a shock to those who don’t have a working knowledge of the criminal justice system, but just because a defendant is charged with felonies doesn’t mean he’ll serve time. Smith has no prior convictions; a suspended sentence (whereby Smith could potentially go to jail if he gets in trouble again or fails to abide by the terms of the sentence) wouldn’t be unusual or improper.

    And just a thought, but it would be just as unfair to throw Smith in jail simply because he’s rich and “should know better,” as it would be to give Smith an UNUSUALLY lenient sentence because he’s a high profile defendant.

  53. He plead no contest and has been convicted. The sentence should have no bearing on the league punishment at all. If he warrants a suspension based on the behavior (confirmed via court), say so now. If he is still in jail after the suspension ends, that’s OK. If the suspension is only because he didn’t receive an acceptable level of punishment from the courts, then the league would be executing its punishment for the wrong reason. It should be based on the behavior and his track record not the punishment he gets from another authority.

  54. I should correct myself, I believe Smith may have a prior conviction for reckless driving, which is a Class-A misdemeanor.

  57. The tricky thing with his punishment is his 5-week rehab stint. I think they said it was voluntary, but I think most of us are pretty sure the 49ers pretty much didn’t give him a choice.

    Would Goodell have suspended him if the 49ers didn’t send him to rehab? Does it matter?

    Goodell has said he will factor in those 5 games with any future suspension. I suppose that is why people are saying 1-3 games. They are thinking if it would normally be 6-8 games then Goodell will reduce it by 5 because of the rehab.

    We’ll see what Goodell does, but Seahawks fans getting all sad. Don’t forget that Lynch should be facing a suspension as well since his DUI that he negotiated down to a wet reckless is a multiple offense for him too, PLUS, he has already been suspended for his previous offenses. Lynch should be facing the same amount of games as Aldon. Maybe more, since his 1st suspension obviously didn’t send teach him anything and he still DUI’s.

  58. Nothing says homer more than crowning a player the new dominate defender of the NFL more than talking up a guy who has never played a snap in the NFL and now entering their 2nd year. Every roster has those kind of potential stars but its exactly that – potential. I have heard wait until Lattimore gets a chance, wait until Tank gets to play, Oh Patten is the next Jerry Rice.

    Face it 49ers are going to miss Al. Smith pass rush ability especially Justin Smith aging and that secondary looking as inexperienced as it is. Or is it wait until you sign Nnamdi back and shines in a quality system.

  60. Should be 4 games just for the DUIs. Remember, he already got one reduced (supposedly under the condition that it never happen again, which it did). The guns & airport incidents should be in addition to that.

  61. People are strange. When a player on the team I root for turns out to be some type of low-life PED user or criminal I want then cut. I don’t fall all over myself trying to make excuses for some super-rich schmuck that is really nothing more than an entitled little brat that will someday cause some real serious damage and/or death and everyone will act suprised.

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