Reuben Foster Fined, Not Suspended for Domestic Violence Arrest; Off Exempt List

The NFL announced Washington linebacker Reuben Foster was fined two game checks Friday following an investigation into his Nov. 24 arrest on a charge of first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence. 

Foster has also been removed from the league's Commissioner Exempt List as part of Friday's ruling.

"I am grateful to the Washington Redskins and the NFL for giving me this second chance," Foster said in a statement Friday. " I appreciate the support I have received from the league, my team, and my union to help me succeed. I want to thank Commissioner Goodell for the time that he has spent with me and for his understanding of me as a person."

While the San Francisco 49ers announced they released him in the aftermath of the arrest, John Keim of ESPN.com reported Washington claimed him off waivers a mere three days after he was arrested. Keim noted Foster was placed on the exempt list while the league investigated, which prevented him from attending games or practicing with the team.

Washington released a statement from senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams which read, in part, "the Redskins fully understand the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben. If true, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone" while explaining the investigation needed to occur before Foster played:

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Washington was the only team in the league to place a waiver claim on the linebacker.

Evan Sernoffsky, Eric Branch and Steve Rubenstein of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the arrest, noting Foster posted $2,000 bail. Police said, "Foster slapped her phone out of her hand, pushed her in the chest area, and slapped her with an open hand on the left side of her face ... Officers observed a one-inch scratch on the victim's left collarbone."

TMZ Sports obtained the 911 call in which Elissa Ennis said, "He took my phone and broke it and slapped me in my face."

Sernoffsky, Branch and Rubenstein cited a source close to Ennis' family who revealed she was diagnosed with a concussion.

The report also detailed Foster's prior run-ins with the law, including an October domestic disturbance incident involving Ennis. Police were called to his apartment following reports of an argument between the two, although they did not observe signs of injury.

Foster also faced previous domestic violence charges after Ennis alleged he hit her in February. While those charges were dropped in May when she recanted the allegations, he still pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor weapons charge after police found a loaded gun present when they arrived.

Foster received two years of probation in which he could not possess a gun and 232 hours of community service.

He failed a drug test at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine and was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in January. The misdemeanor charges were dropped following his completion of a diversion course, but he was still suspended two games to start the 2018 campaign following the gun charge and possession incident.

The linebacker was a consensus All-American and Dick Butkus Award winner during his collegiate career at Alabama and could have been a top-10 pick given his talent level. However, he fell to the No. 31 pick in the 2017 draft with off-field concerns.

Foster has already missed games following his legal issues, but avoided a suspension in this case and can return to the team's active roster ahead of the 2019 season.