Coach Jay Gruden says the Redskins will continue to investigate Rueben Foster’s legal problems amid the ‘outcry’ from signing the linebacker following his domestic violence arrest and there’s ‘no guarantee’ he ever plays for Washington.<\/b>
\nCoach Jay Gruden said the Washington Redskins will continue to investigate Rueben Foster’s legal problems amid the outcry from signing the linebacker following his domestic violence arrest.
Gruden added there is \u00ab\u00a0no guarantee\u00a0\u00bb Foster ever plays for Washington.
\u00ab\u00a0We accept, obviously, the questions, but we want to let the process play out and see what happens and get to the bottom of it,\u00a0\u00bb Gruden said Wednesday. \u00ab\u00a0He’s got a lot of work to do, personally, with the team, with the NFL, with himself, before he even thinks about playing football again.\u00a0\u00bb
Foster, 24, was arrested Saturday night at San Francisco’s team hotel in Tampa and charged with one count of first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence. Washington was the only team to put in a claim for Foster after the San Francisco 49ers released him Monday.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who was Washington’s offensive coordinator from 2010-2013, said he was a bit surprised a team claimed Foster. Gruden said the \u00ab\u00a0team decision\u00a0\u00bb was made to add Foster knowing there would be blowback.
\u00ab\u00a0At the end of the day we decided to make the move, and we’ll deal with the outcry, so to speak,\u00a0\u00bb Gruden said. \u00ab\u00a0But for the most part, this is a young athlete, a young person who got himself into some trouble, and we want to find out exactly what happened.\u00a0\u00bb
Foster reported to the team’s facility on Wednesday to take a physical but is on the Commissioner Exempt list and while on it, he cannot practice or attend games.
Gruden said after practice Wednesday the organization did not speak to the victim. He did say the Redskins spoke \u00ab\u00a0a little bit\u00a0\u00bb to Tampa police and would continue to look into Foster’s situation at the same time as the NFL holds its investigation.
In a statement Tuesday, senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams said the Redskins spoke to former Alabama teammates of Foster’s before signing him. Washington has seven other Alabama products on its roster, and none of the players who spoke to reporters Wednesday acknowledged being asked by president Bruce Allen, Williams or Gruden about Foster.
\u00ab\u00a0I didn’t talk to Bruce or anybody about it,\u00a0\u00bb safety Ha Clinton-Dix said. \u00ab\u00a0You’ve got to speak with the organization, the guys that are above me, on that decision. But as a human being, as a person that wants to provide for his family and make the right decisions, just got to learn from your mistakes…. But I’m glad to have Reuben here as a teammate.\u00a0\u00bb
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AP Pro Football Writers Josh Dubow and Barry Wilner contributed.<\/p>\n