In one of the more mind-numbing announcements this season, the NFL has decided to defer Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Aldon Smith’s reinstatement decision until March of 2017 per ProFootballTalk.
“Per a league source, the NFL has decided not to reinstate Smith for the remainder of the 2016 season. Instead, his case will be revisited on March 15, 2017.”
This sets an odd precedent for the league.
Smith, suspended back in the preseason, had voluntarily entered rehab, going so far as to extend his rehab in hopes of helping his case with the NFL.
While, it’s seemingly okay for multiple players to beat women without major repercussion, like Greg Hardy and Josh Brown, the player who has gone a step above and done his best to stay on the straight and narrow has been railroaded.
Smith has had his issues, ranging from marijuana to a party-boy attitude, but his time with the Raiders has been relatively quiet apart from a video that seemed to show him with marijuana.
The fact that Roger Goodell is portraying a portrait of acceptance for domestic abusers with minimal repercussions is sickening. Add in his long-standing heavy hand in regards to the Oakland Raiders, and this should come as no surprise just how spineless the NFL commissioner truly is.