As the final act in the broken relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and Aldon Smith, the franchise is suing its former player to recoup bonus money.
As pointed out by Dan Werly of The White Bronco, the 49ers are asking for a court order for Smith to repay part of his signing bonus.
https://twitter.com/WerlySportsLaw/status/826459244690030592?s=09
Per the court document, Smith and the NFLPA had 10 days from November 4 of last year to appeal a System Arbitrator’s ruling that Smith was to re-pay the amount of $341,630 within 30 days. Neither Smith nor the Union filed an appeal, and the 49ers have yet to receive the amount owed.
Smith is currently trying to get back into the NFL after being suspended for a year for repeated violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. He applied for reinstatement last year, but the NFL has pushed any decision to March of 2017.
Smith was arrested multiple times during his tenure with the 49ers, the last coming right before his release back in August of 2015. Many argued the 49ers gave him too many chances before finally cutting him loose, but the team desperately wanted to not only keep his talents but also help him exercise his demons.
It’s sad that it’s come to this, with a court order to chase down lost money on a player who turned into a lost cause for the team that drafted him No. 7 overall in 2011.