The cloud hanging over Demarcus Robinson’s legal status has lifted a bit.
The veteran wide receiver, who the San Francisco 49ers signed this off-season, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence and was sentenced to three years of probation and a nominal fine of $390, plus a series of alcohol-related programs.
Robinson signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Niners after spending the past two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. He had 31 catches for 505 receiving yards and seven touchdowns with the Rams in 2024 — his yards and touchdown totals set a new career high.
A fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2016 NFL Draft, Robinson has 250 catches for 3,013 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns over his first nine NFL seasons.
Why Did Demarcus Robinson Get Arrested?
Robinson was reportedly clocked doing 100mph in his Dodge sedan in the Woodland Hills section of Los Angeles on Nov. 25 and was stopped by officers at 5:13 a.m. He was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to the Orange County Register, Robinson’s attorney Jacqueline Sparagna stated that two additional charges of driving with a blood-alcohol-content level of 0.08 or higher and driving without a valid license were dropped.
Robinson, who did not miss a game with the Rams last season, was still eligible to play despite the incident. He had three catches for 74 yards in Los Angeles’ season-ending 28-22 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round playoffs.
What Does Demarcus Robinson’s Legal Troubles Mean For The 49ers?
Robinson is probably ecstatic to have the legal portion of DUI behind him. But the NFL still may come calling if it deems he violated the league’s personal-conduct policy.
Since this is Robinson’s first DUI arrest, he is subject to a three-game suspension without pay. Jordan Addison of the Minnesota Vikings is facing a three-game suspension for his DUI arrest earlier this year, though his case is slated to go to trial next week.
But the league may also opt for a softer punishment for Robinson if it deems his BAC was below the legal limit of 0.08, since that charge was thrown out.
Robinson will still be eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games while he is under suspension, which means he will be able to gain continuity with franchise quarterback Brock Purdy.
But the Niners also brought in Robinson as a veteran presence amid a young group of receivers, and their wideout depth chart seems unstable, especially with Robinson facing suspension. No. 1 wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still far from fully recovered after shredding his knee against the Chiefs last season, and Ricky Pearsall had a cranky hamstring that cost him practice time during OTAs.
The Niners have no shortage of offensive weapons with Purdy, even though Deebo Samuel is gone to the Washington Commanders via an off-season trade. Still, San Francisco will want to get off to a solid start if it is going to go worst to first in the NFC West, as many pundits are predicting.
