Foster kept out of team activities
Reuben Foster will not be present when the 49ers begin their offseason program Monday.
On Sunday, two days after the 49ers’ linebacker was charged with four crimes by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the team said Foster would not participate in team activities. The 49ers issued a statement from CEO Jed York, general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Reuben Foster will not participate in team activities as he is tending to his legal matters,” the statement read. “As previously stated, his future with the team will be determined by the information revealed during the legal process.”
Foster has been charged with felony domestic violence, forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime and possessing an assault weapon, which are all felonies. He also was charged with pos-
sessing a high-capacity magazine, a misdemeanor. He faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted.
Foster is accused of dragging his girlfriend by the hair, punching her in the head multiple times and leaving her with a punctured eardrum. Foster is free on $75,000 bond and has a plea hearing scheduled for April 30.
Foster will not participate in any football-related activities while the legal process unfolds, but the 49ers could set up external resources or support if he remains in the Bay Area, which he is expected to do. That support could include meetings with their player-engagement program. Since the 49ers drafted Foster with the No. 31 overall pick last year, team officials have emphasized that they planned to provide him with a strong support system.
In the aftermath of Friday’s charges, the 49ers have absorbed criticism for not releasing Foster. On Friday, they issued a statement that was not attributed to a member of the organization, terming the charges against him “disturbing” and saying his employment with the team was under “great scrutiny.”
However, the decision to ban him from team activities does not suggest they have changed their stance on how they view his case.
In 2015, they also prevented fullback Bruce Miller from participating in the offseason program after he was accused of shoving his then-fiancee and destroying her cell phone during an argument in Santa Clara. After an absence of about two months, Miller returned to the 49ers after an investigation into the alleged assault was inconclusive and he was charged with misdemeanor vandalism.
In 2016, the 49ers released Miller after he was arrested and accused of attacking a 70-yearman and his son.