49ers' Aldon Smith Suspended by NFL For Nine Games

The San Francisco 49ers' All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith has been suspended by the NFL for nine games due to violations of its personal conduct and substance abuse policies.

The speculation had been that Smith would receive a penalty of six to eight games. But the suspension will put him out until Monday, Nov. 10, and he will miss games against the Cowboys, Bears, Cardinals, Eagles, Chiefs, Rams and Saints. The first game Smith would be eligible for is against the New York Giants on Nov. 16.

Smith's legal troubles have been well publicized. Last month, a Santa Clara County judge sentenced him to 11 days on a work crew, three years probation and 235 hours of community service for  illegal weapons possession and drunken driving. Smith pleaded no contest to the charges.

USA Today has additional details on the negotations that went on behind the scenes over the suspension:

A person with knowledge of the process, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Smith's representatives and the league reached a settlement that allows him to be at the team facility and in meetings during his suspension.

The suspension didn't come down until Friday because talks were ongoing, the person said, and the final sticking point was whether the ban would be eight or nine games – four games for the substance-abuse violation and either four or five for personal conduct.

The recent suspension of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice for a domestic violence incident has weighed on the Smith decision. Rice's two-game suspension drew widespread criticism as a slap on the wrist.

From the Mercury News:

In a letter Thursday to NFL owners, Goodell set forth a stronger policy against domestic violence and sexual assault. He also wrote about other infractions involving weapons offenses and drunken driving.

"In addition to focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault, we will continue to maintain strong policies regarding weapons offenses," Goodell wrote. "We are similarly working to strengthen our response to impaired driving.

"We have sought — unsuccessfully — for several years to obtain the NFLPA's agreement to more stringent discipline for DUI, including mandatory deactivation for the game immediately following an arrest and a minimum two-game suspension for a first violation of law. We will continue to press our position on this issue in the hope of securing the union's agreement."

Most suspensions for personal-conduct violations have ranged between one and eight games since Goodell became commissioner in 2006. Prior to Smith's ruling, Goodell recently drew widespread criticism for suspending Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice only two games after a domestic-violence incident.

Smith missed five games last year to enter a substance abuse program. The Niners won all five.

Another Niners All-Pro linebacker, NaVorro Bowman, will miss at least six games as he rehabs from a knee injury.

Apropos of NFL suspension times, here's a FiveThirtyEight feature from yesterday looking at how much involuntary time off people received for different violations over the NFL's history. Most of these personal conduct suspensions have been for one to five games.

Here's the full story on the Aldon Smith suspension from AP:

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has been suspended for nine games by the NFL after a series of off-field legal issues.

A statement Friday from the league said Smith had violated the NFL's substance abuse and personal conduct policies.

Smith won't be eligible to return until Nov. 10, the day after the 49ers' game against the New Orleans Saints.

"Our organization has known this decision would come and we have prepared for it as a team," 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "Aldon has taken responsibility for his actions and has continued to show growth personally and professionally. We will continue to support him, but it is time to put this matter behind us and focus on the season ahead."

The 24-year-old Smith, one of the NFL's top pass rushers, missed five games last season to undergo treatment at an in-patient facility following his DUI arrest Sept. 20.

Just before training camp began last month, the 24-year-old Smith was sentenced to serve three years of probation and to spend 11 days with a work crew after he pleaded no contest to drunken driving and weapons charges.

He has repeatedly said he has been sober since his DUI arrest last September. Smith played in a 27-7 home loss to the Colts on Sept. 22, two days after he was arrested and jailed on suspicion of DUI and marijuana possession. After the game, he publicly apologized for his behavior and later announced he would leave for treatment.

While the Niners went on a five-game winning streak without him, Smith's menacing presence was sorely missed. The team still picked up his 2015 contract option this spring.

In his latest run-in with the law, Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport. Police said Smith was randomly selected for a secondary screening and became uncooperative with the process, telling a TSA agent that he had a bomb. No charges were filed.

In November, he pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a June 2012 party at his home. Investigators said several shots were fired, two partygoers were injured and Smith was stabbed. In the subsequent investigation, prosecutors say detectives found five unregistered, illegal weapons in Smith's house.

Last season, Smith finished with 8 1/2 sacks and 34 tackles in 11 games with eight starts. He was initially worked back in slowly, but demonstrated he had stayed in shape while away.

Selected seventh overall in the 2011 draft out of Missouri, Smith had a franchise-record 19 1/2 sacks during the 2012 season for the 49ers, who lost to Baltimore in the Super Bowl after that season.