It’s not currently known whether the NFL will be placing linebacker Reuben Foster on the Commissioner Exempt list in the aftermath of his latest arrest for domestic violence. Before any other team would give him another chance, however, that team would be able to learn more about Foster’s status in the eyes of the league office.
That’s how it normally works. A team has the ability to contact 345 Park Avenue and ask whether a paid suspension is coming, before becoming the team that would be paying him while suspended.
And given that a player can’t be placed on the Commissioner Exempt list unless he’s on a team, a message from the league office that placement on the Commissioner Exempt list is looming could keep any team from signing him.
Which means that Foster simply won’t draw any interest, because no one will be interested in paying him until his status with the league is resolved and any unpaid suspension is served, especially since a paid suspension typically flows from a player being formally charged with a crime of violence.