IN BRIEF
49ers GM: No special treatment for Foster
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters Wednesday that the team is following league and law enforcement protocols with regards to
Reuben Foster, dismissing the notion that the linebacker is receiving special treatment because he was a coveted 2017 first-round draft pick. Foster was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, making criminal threats and possession of an assault weapon in Northern California in February, his second arrest in two months. Beyond releasing a statement acknowledging the linebacker’s arrest, the 49ers had not commented on the matter before Wednesday. “With this, we’ve been a little quiet. And that’s for a reason. There’s places I can’t and won’t go,” Lynch told reporters. San- ta Clara County District Attorney office spokesperson
Cynthia Sumida wrote in an e-mail to USA TODAY the case is still under review. No charges had been filed as of Wednesday. Foster, 23, was also arrested in Alabama on suspicion of marijuana possession in January. He played and started in 10 games and recorded 72 tackles last season.
Running back Forte retires from NFL
Matt Forte is calling it a career after 10 seasons in the NFL. The veteran running back announced his retirement Wednesday with a statement posted to Twitter. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Forte spent eight years with the Chicago Bears before joining the New York Jets for the last two. His role in New York was diminished in 2017, as he ran for a career-low 381 yards and complained about a lack of opportunities following an October loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Forte trails only Walter Payton for the most rushing yards in Bears history with 8,602 for the franchise. An adept pass catcher, he also accounted for 4,672 receiving yards in his career. ❚ Mike Glennon’s run with the Chicago Bears has met its expected end. The team will release the veteran quarterback after the start of the new league year on March 14, general manager Ryan Pace said Wednesday. Glennon signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Bears last offseason, though his payout will only be the $18.5 million that was guaranteed. The team also traded up to the No. 2 overall spot to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Glennon started four games before giving way to the rookie, throwing four touchdown passes and five interceptions as the Bears got off to a 1-3 start.
❚ The Carolina Panthers are parting ways with their all-time leading rusher. Running back Jonathan Stewart was released Wednesday, the team announced. Stewart played 10 seasons for the Panthers, racking up a franchise-best 7,318 rushing yards. But he was plagued by injuries throughout his career, and he finished with a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last season with 680 rushing yards total. Stewart, 30, was entering the final year of the contract. Releasing him is expected to save approximately $3.7 million against the salary cap. The move should provide more opportunities for Christian McCaffrey.
Robinson says UW booster offered him cash
Former NBA point guard Nate Robinson said Wednesday that a University of Washington booster offered him $100,000 a year to return to football during his next three years at the school. Speaking on the second episode of his Sports Illustrated podcast HOLDAT with fellow NBA product Carlos Boozer, Robinson said he turned down the booster’s offer because he wanted to focus on basketball and “don’t want to owe anybody anything.” “But for my three years at UW, I had a booster offer me $100,000 a year to come back and play football because they needed Nate Robinson back on the football field,” he said. “We wasn’t winning no games. It wasn’t exciting. It was crazy, we went through a dark age at the University of Washington when Tyrone Willingham was the coach. We didn’t win not one game it seemed like. It was just crazy.” Robinson, who last appeared in an NBA game in 2015, originally joined the Huskies on a football scholarship but decided to switch his focus to basketball following the departure of coach Rick Neuheisel, who was fired the summer after Robinson’s freshman year.