Aldon Smith Plans To Be Back With Raiders In Two Weeks

During Thursday night’s NBA game between the Thunder and Warriors, suspended Raiders OLB Aldon Smith said he plans to be back with the team in two weeks.

“I’ll be back in two weeks, you can ask me all the questions then,” Smith said, via Janie McCauley of the Associated Press.

Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie told Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle a few weeks ago that Smith has applied for reinstatement to the NFL.

“Aldon is doing well,” McKenzie said. “That situation is going to be totally up to the league because he’s been in the program and they’ve monitored him. It’s up to Goodell to say yah, nay or when. And he could say no to everything … that part is out of our hands.

“The league will take everything into consideration and Aldon will have to meet with Goodell at some point.”

According to Tafur, Smith’s one-year suspension for a substance abuse violation will end on Nov. 17. Smith is no longer in rehab and has a meeting pending with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

This summer, a video surfaced of a man who appeared to be Smith smoking marijuana. However, Smith denied that it was him but entered a treatment center in July.

Sources tell Tafur that the NFL has investigated the matter.

Smith, 27, is a former first-round pick of the 49ers back in 2010. He was cut loose by the 49ers shortly after a DUI incident last year, even though San Francisco picked up his fifth-year option.

Smith later signed a one-year deal with the Raiders that was worth up to $8 million, which was largely incentive-based. Oakland elected to re-sign Smith to a two-year, $11.5 million contract this past April, despite the fact that he was going to miss a large portion of the 2017 season.

In 2015, Smith has recorded 28 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three pass defenses over the course of nine games. Pro Football Focus currently rates Smith as the No. 33 edge defender out of 110 qualifying players.