Former 49er, Raider Aldon Smith sober, hoping for another chance with NFL: report

It’s not like the 49ers need another top drawer defensive lineman, but Aldon Smith has turned his life around and is hoping to resume his NFL career, according to Jay Glazer.

The last time we saw Smith, he was utterly untethered, mired in substance abuse and pleading no contest to violating a court order and false imprisonment in the wake of an ugly domestic violence incident.

Forget about his NFL ban. His friends feared for his life.

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49ers voice complaints about turf at MetLife Stadium, play there again next Sunday Glazer, an NFL insider for Fox Sports who trains NFL players in mixed martial arts, claims Smith is sober and working out regularly at a West Hollywood gym. Furthermore, Glazer says Smith is working with military veterans.

“Aldon’s great because Aldon’s been working out with our (veterans) in our MVP program every single Wednesday night,” Glazer told TMZ Sports. “Aldon has been sober for a while and he’s been helping a lot of our vets with their sobriety.”

Glazer’s assessment is heartening. But reinstatement is no sure thing. Even if the NFL gives Smith the OK, any team signing him would be taking a leap of faith given all he has been through.

In Smith’s favor is his first two seasons with the 49ers during which he was a force of nature, compiling 33.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and 56 quarterback hits. He was First Team All-Pro in his second season. But his inability to stay out of trouble led the 49ers and Raiders to cut ties with him. A potential snag could be Smith’s age (30) and the fact he has been out of the league for four years.

All that said, don’t understate the appeal of a long-shot comeback story. The more implausible, it says here, the better.

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