When the Raiders signed Aldon Smith back in September, a little more than a month after he was arrested following an alleged drunk driving incident that ended with him reportedly running into a parked car, they likely knew he wasn’t going to play for them all season. It’s why the team gave him a contract that called for him to receive a $250,000 bonus for every game he played. Today, their premonitions came true when the NFL decided to suspend Smith for one year as a result of his arrest.
The league came down hard on Smith because he has been arrested—and suspended—on a number of occasions in the past. Just last year, he was suspended for nine games after violating substance abuse and personal conduct policies. But his latest suspension is a big blow to the Raiders, who were basically forced to sign him despite his past trouble because of their lack of reliable pass rushers.
Smith pleaded not guilty to the DUI, hit and run, and vandalism charges he received back in August. Stay tuned to see how the Raiders replace him and whether or not Smith is able to work his way back into the league after his latest transgression.
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[via ESPN]
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