What do the Washington Redskins know about Reuben Foster that everyone else seems to have missed?
That’s what many are wondering after ESPN’s Lisa Salters revealed Monday night Redskins president Bruce Allen told her the story that former San Francisco 49ers linebacker’s most recent arrest has a “different side,” which presumably made Washington comfortable signing him. The Redskins claimed Foster off waivers last week, just days after the 49ers released him in the aftermath of his arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident, which took place the previous weekend at the team hotel in Tampa, Fla.
“They had heard a side of the Foster story that is different,” Salters said on “Monday Night Football,” per NBC Sports’ Michael David Smith.
Police arrested Foster after his ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, accused him of slapping her phone out of her hand, pushing her and slapping her in the face, according to WTVM. The arrest for alleged domestic violence was Foster’s second in the past 10 months.
Many have criticized the the Redskins’ acquisition of Foster, claiming it sends the wrong message about the team’s and NFL’s stance on domestic violence. The scrutiny only intensified when Redskins senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams described the allegations against Foster as “small potatoes.” Williams later apologized for his statement.
Foster now is on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents him from practicing with his team or competing in games while the league investigates the allegations against him. Time will tell what impact he has on the Redskins’ fortunes, but the team probably will have to explain its thinking publicly in order to quell the storm over his signing.
