Washington Redskins team president Bruce Allen said Tuesday he does not expect Reuben Foster to be suspended in 2019 for the linebacker’s domestic violence arrest.
Foster, who saw his charges dismissed earlier this month, remains on the league’s Commissioner Exempt list and has yet to be reinstated. In November, the 24-year-old linebacker was arrested in Tampa, Florida following an incident in which an ex-girlfriend told police Foster slapped her with an open hand.
The Redskins claimed the linebacker off waivers just days later, shortly after the San Francisco 49ers released him.
“I don’t know why we would expect a suspension,” Allen said. “But we’ll let the league finish it.”
Although his charges were dropped, the NFL could still hand down a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, for example, was suspended six games in 2017 for allegations of domestic violence, though Elliott was never charged. Unlike Foster, Elliott was not placed on the Commissioner Exempt list.
Allen addressed the Redskins’ decision to add Foster publicly for the first time. When the move happened, Washington initially released a statement attributed to executive Doug Williams and Allen later talked to ESPN’s Lisa Salters before the team’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football.”
Washington’s decision received a heavy dose of criticism, given the nature of the accusations. The arrest was also Foster’s second domestic violence-related charge of 2018, though the first one was also dropped after the woman, who also accused Foster in November, recanted.
Allen said the Redskins were comfortable that they knew Foster’s character when investigating the matter.
“We went back to the reports we had a year ago from him coming out of college,” Allen said. “I think we had a good sense of who the person was, and did our own quick investigation of some of the facts that we had heard. And we’re fortunate that the outcome was what [we] somewhat anticipated.”
Allen said the team talked to people at Alabama in the lead-up to its decision and Foster’s former Crimson Tide teammates who are now Redskins. Washington also claimed the same in its initial statement, though some players denied that when speaking to reporters shortly after.
Allen said that was intentional as they don’t want players to disclose details of private meetings in interviews.
Asked about the mandates given to Foster to be a member of the Redskins, Allen said the linebacker “understands what he has to do” and has done it every day.
“He still has a ways to go to get on the football field, but right now, he’s doing everything correct,” Allen said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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