Aldon Smith denies he was driving under the influence after making bail

Just when things were looking up for Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers, he apparently shot himself in the foot.

The mood coming out of Santa Clara this morning is certainly gloomy, as the talented pass-rusher was booked into Santa Clara Jail. It was revealed by the Santa Clara Police that he was arrested on DUI, hit and run and vandalism charges.

This isn’t good news for the 49ers or Smith.

After making bail, however, Smith adamantly denied that his arrest was for a DUI.

“Simple as this: Justice will be served, the truth will come out, there’s no DUI,” Smith said, via Pro Football Talk. “I’m sorry for anybody I let down, I’m sorry for the way this whole thing . . . I need to speak and I want everybody to understand, this wasn’t a DUI, the situation I had could have been handled differently and I apologize for everybody I did let down and I apologize for how it all played out. But as far as everything is concerned, it will work out the way it’s supposed to work out. That’s all.”

Whether he was drunk or not, there is no doubt Smith’s track record is working against him. Here’s a look at the off-field horror show he’s put together dating back to 2012, courtesy of SportsCenter.

The team had been outspoken recently about trying to extend Smith to a new contract this season to ensure he stayed in San Francisco for the foreseeable future. He was reportedly doing everything right all offseason after missing nine games in 2014 for off-field mistakes.

Now, it’s back to the drawing board for general manager Trent Baalke, who must surely be getting tired of Smith’s antics. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. If Smith was indeed sober, then the 49ers could be enticed to continue playing with fire by keeping him on the roster.

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports