49ers LB Reuben Foster suspended 2 games, will miss contest vs. Lions

The NFL announced on Tuesday that 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has been suspended for the first two games of the 2018 NFL season.

The suspension stems not from the domestic violence charge—which was dropped after his ex-girlfriend admitted she made up her story. Instead, the suspension is for a violation of the NFL’s conduct and substance abuse policies.

In January, Foster was arrested for marijuana possession, and when he was arrested for the domestic violence charge a month later, he was also charged for felony weapon possession, which was later reduced to a misdemeanor. In June, Foster was sentenced to two years probation and 232 hours of community service.

No appeal is expected by Foster, as he offered the following statement accepting the league’s punishment:

“I accept the League’s decision and am sorry that my mistakes have hurt my team. I have a responsibility to the 49ers, our fans and our community, and I am committed to learning from this situation and making better choices in the future. The support I have received over the last five months has been humbling, and I do not take it for granted.”

This means that Foster will miss his Week 2 game against the Detroit Lions. The Lions, oddly enough, passed over Foster in the 2017 NFL Draft in favor of Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis.

This is already the second time the Lions will benefit from an opponent’s suspension. Patriots receiver Julian Edelman is facing a four-game suspension and the Lions face New England in Week 3.

But the Lions aren’t the only NFC North team that will benefit from Reuben’s suspension. The Vikings will be facing off against the Reuben-less 49ers in the opening week of the 2018 season.