Raiders And Aldon Smith Still Waiting On Commissioner’s Decision

The hope was that he’d be back in uniform four weeks ago, but nearly a month after being eligible for reinstatement, Aldon Smith and the Raiders are still in the dark – waiting for answers.

Smith, who recently met with commissioner Roger Goodell, is believed to have completed his plea to the NFL for reinstatement. Nevertheless, the league has still not made a decision and Goodell confirmed today that there is no timetable to announce a decision.

So what exactly is going on?

First, it’s important to remember Goodell and the league can do whatever they want. Smith’s reinstatement process is entirely at the mercy of the NFL. What that means is league officials can make a decision – or in this case, not make a decision – based on evidence or something less.

In the case of Smith, the league may lack concrete evidence against the player, but there’s been more than enough suspicion around the Raiders’ All-Pro linebacker within the past six months. In July, Smith or someone who looked and sounded like him, appeared to be smoking marijuana in a time-stamped social media video. Just days later, Smith denied it was him in the video, but promptly checked himself into rehab.

Why did Smith choose to enter rehab two-thirds of the way through his suspension? Was it him in the video? More than likely. But can the league prove it was him? Probably not. But they don’t need to. Tom Brady was never proven guilty in the “deflategate” scandal.

If the league believes Smith was in the video, there isn’t a lot more that matters.

No doubt, Smith was grilled by NFL officials in last week’s meeting and it would be interesting to know his rebuttal to the video. For what it’s worth, his twitter denial has since been taken down. If Smith held firm with “it wasn’t me” in the video, the league could very well follow the path they took with Brady when he refused to turn over his cell phone to the NFL.

Obviously, somewhere in the process there’s still a sticking point.

If the league believes Smith isn’t being truthful, the CBA gives the commissioner every right to drag along the reinstatement process – something that is already happening.

Smith could be reinstated tomorrow or he could miss the rest of the season. No one seems to have a scoop and information is scarce.

So we continue to wait. And speculate.

twitter: @raidersbeat

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19 thoughts on “Raiders And Aldon Smith Still Waiting On Commissioner’s Decision

    1. No doubt! Although he is a repeat offender. But, has a much better character than Aqib Talib who is just a punk period. I still find it suspicious that they would wait to pull him in November of last year when the Raiders were making a playoff run last year and now that they are almost guaranteed a playoff spot they’re finding it hard to reinstate him when he was up for reinstatement a month ago. Just another case of the NFL not wanting the Raiders to be successful IMO. God forbid we get the number one seed and have to play the patriots in Oakland and we end up beating them. I guarantee Robert Kraft won’t be playing golf with Goodelle for a while lol.

  1. The player has served his time if there is no vidence of him being in this video this allow him to earn his livelyhood . If there is no plan to re-instate then kindly say so. Goodell has too much authority that he’s abusing against the player and the team this is all politics..

  2. I think Roger has way too much power because he likes to mess with the fans and also because the love to hate on the Raiders but like they say the NFL Is great when the Raiders and Cowboys are relevant but I think Roger is class all by himself in being an asshole and a hater

  3. As with other suspended players, im sure Aldon had to submit to several drug test while suspended and obviously he passed them or they would have said so by now. I dont know about the certain rehab that Aldon was in, but i had a family member that went to rehab and they were tested upon entry and randomly, i think goodell is screwing him around, give the man an answer, yes or no.

  4. ” Roger Fidel “is a dictator ! He need s to give the kid a shot he’s been out long enough let’s give aldon a zero tolerance policy f on here on out

  5. Goodell is a sorry excuse for Commissioner. If marijuana is sooooo bad ,yet state after state is legalizing it.The NFL let a guy who drunk driving killed someone,and was allowed to play.Too much power for R. Goodell ?

  6. Yes or no simply as that let the man and team no something come on Roger the way you handle this just ain’t right

  7. I think Aldon should be back, let’s just be honest it was him in the video. But, in this NFL where a guy just got 10 games for medical MJ there is no way Smith plays this year. Given fact Josh Gordon got 4 more games after his year long, Smith has missed 4 games since reapplying. It’s a shame that players in this situation can hang with his team and go to practice facility

  8. Im a retired police officer.in a case like this, if you did the time that was issued, then you are done. How can u hold someone responsible for something (video) that u cant prove is that person, so u hold more time over his head?! The police or even judges dont do that! Goodell has too much power. Thinks hes top cop!!!

  9. This is why goodwill should not have this much power. you should be able to see that he is protecting the patriots, hoping they keep home field, he wants a cowboy&patriots superbowl both of the raiders players should have been back, an if we do meet them in the playoffs there will be another rule come out that we haven’t heard of, watch.

  10. Goodwill knows what he’s doing they should have been back, he got what he wanted not letting Smith not play at KC, now he is protecting the patriots that they get home field, if you can’t tell he is a patriot fan an would like to have a cowboy&patriot superbowl when you start having favoritism in sports, it’s like racism, he has to go.

  11. He is just waiting for him to do anything wrong for a judgment call.
    Goodell knows the Raiders would be better with him, and he is intentionally sabotaging the Raiders.
    Al would have his lawyers all over this one.

  12. Goodell could not live with being responsible for potentially providing the missing ingredient to a Raiders Super Bowl Championship!

  13. I’m a RAIDERS fan, and want my team to win. But getting Smith back isn’t why i’m commenting, i’m here because I think Smith is getting jerked around. 14+ months have gone by and still no resolution? That’s not right, by any stretch of the imagination. Smith did his 1-year suspension, stayed clean, filed for reinstatement, has waited 2+ months for a decision… and he’s still on the back burner. Yes or no Goodell needs to make a decision.

    *The video that’s supposed to show Smith smoking Marijuana is a non-issue. If the league (Goodell) thought it was Smith that would have been game over right there, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. Since Smith hasn’t been banned for life it should be obvious that the video is not an issue and still over Smith’s head. With that said… what’s the hold up?! Football is still Smith’s livelihood, and he’s entitled to a fair and TIMELY decision.

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