On Saturday, November 24th, NFL Linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery. The San Francisco 49ers promptly cut Foster from their team the following day. Then on Tuesday, November 27th, the Washington Redskins surprised the league with a questionable transaction, acquiring Foster from waivers. The Redskins were the only team that made a claim on the second year player. This move sparked a lot of anger and confusion from fans, as it raises question: Do NFL franchise prioritize winning even it means making unethical decisions like this? We see this all the time in sports; Ohio State Head Coach Urban Meyer was accused this past year of keeping an assistant coach on board despite knowing about his domestic abuse issues. But in the NFL in particular, there are several talented players on rosters who have committed serious crimes in their past. Just this season, the Seahawks added Mychal Kendricks, a player who was accused of insider trading and looking at 20 years in jail if proven guilty. Kendricks was eventually suspended indefinitely by the NFL, but why is the NFL the ones that have to decide an alleged criminal can’t play for one of its franchises? Why can’t the Redskins decide it’s not an ethical move to add Reuben Foster? Even if a player like that ends up being great for your team, it’s still a bad look for your franchise and the league to have an athlete accused of a serious crime playing. It’s hard to watch as an NFL fan. Some of the stars of the NFL currently have at one point been accused of domestic abuse. Many people are upset that these felons are being added by teams to play in the league, but activist Colin Kaepernick is not. I’m not against these players playing again, but they need to serve their time or be proven innocent. For example, ex-NFL quarterback Michael Vick was convicted of dog-fighting while in the prime of his career. But Vick admitted to his wrongdoing and served his few years in jail, before returning to action again. NFL players should not be allowed to play in the midst of a criminal investigation. Reuben Foster was proven innocent the first time he was accused of domestic abuse, and then he was promptly drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. But Foster needs to be innocent once again or serve his time before he can play again, and the Washington Redskins need to understand that before adding him solely for football purposes.