The San Francisco 49ers released Aldon Smith following the 25-year-old linebacker’s arrest Thursday night on hit and run, driving under the influence and vandalism charges.
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“This organization has tried very hard to help Aldon fight his issues. Although he is no longer a member of this team, our support and concern for him will continue,” the team said in a statement prior to its news conference Friday.
A team source tells ESPN’s Jim Trotter that 49ers general manager Trent Baalke met with Smith after he was released from jail Friday morning, and after Smith refused to take responsibility for his latest arrest, the decision was made to release him.
Smith was booked into the Santa Clara County jail and released Friday on $26,000 bond.
This is the 25-year-old Smith’s third arrest on suspicion of drunken driving since entering the league in 2011 as a first-round draft pick out of Missouri. That doesn’t even count his arrest for felony weapons possession when he was firing guns at a party he threw and people wound up injured.
The 49ers really did all they could but at some point you have to wash your hands of problems. Hopefully Aldon can get himself together because he is a great player with so much potential still left.
