San Francisco 49ers star pass rusher Aldon Smith had a chance at returning early from his nine-game suspension, but the league decided not to reduce the oft-troubled outside linebacker’s ban. He is eligible to return tomorrow after the 49ers face the tough New Orleans Saints, and he is fully expected to make his return next week for the New York Giants. Fellow star LB Patrick Willis is set to miss a third straight game with a toe injury that he suffered back in Week 6, so the 49ers will also hope that he can face the Giants.
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Per two league sources close to ESPN’s Ed Werder, the league did not reduce Smith’s suspension, because he did not fulfill all of the requirements he needed in order to return to the field before the nine games were up. Werder reports that while Smith did more community service than required, he failed to complete his counseling obligations. Smith could have returned to play in today’s marquee matchup with the Saints, but he didn’t because of the failure to complete his “counseling protocol”.
The 49ers have still done a nice job of putting pressure on the quarterback off the edge, as both Aaron Lynch and Dan Skuta have played well to this point in the season as Smith’s platoon replacement. That said, it’s difficult to match the production of a player who recorded 42 sacks in his first three seasons in the league, so his return would be a massive boost to the entire defense, especially the secondary, which has been beat-up by injuries this year. The 49ers are primed for a second-half bounce-back, though they could take some lumps against the resurgent Saints today.