Aldon Smith: San Francisco 49ers Linebacker Suspended Nine Games For Drunk Driving Arrest

Aldon Smith will miss nine games for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, the San Francisco 49ers learned Friday.

In July, the linebacker was sentenced for a September 2013 arrest for drunk driving. Smith, who also had a DWI arrest in 2011, received 11 days of work release for his offense.

The talented linebacker has had difficulty staying out of trouble in the NFL. He also had three felony gun charges which were taken down to misdemeanors, and in April was arrested for allegedly making a fake bomb threat.

The police report noted some bizarre behavior from Smith:

“At approximately 1400 hrs, a 25-year-old male resident of San Jose, California, was going through Terminal 1 screening and was randomly selected for a secondary screening. The suspect then became belligerent and uncooperative with the process and with the TSA agent, making a comment indicating that he was in possession of a bomb before proceeding towards the gate area.”

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office declined to pursue charges on the alleged threat.

Last season, Aldon Smith left the San Francisco 49ers for five games to enter a substance-abuse treatment center. At the time, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Smith’s decision to aggressively address his issues would be considered when his punishment was addressed.

Many disagreed with the timing of the NFL’s announcement of the suspension, with the regular season opener for the 49ers just a little more than a week away.

Pro Football Talk noted:

“The NFL has developed a habit over the years of resolving suspensions based on offseason developments before the start of the next regular season. For Smith, who’ll have appeal rights, it becomes more and more difficult to get everything resolved in the next nine days.”

Aldon Smith has not yet announced if he will appeal the suspension, but it seems likely he will.