49ers Release Ray McDonald Following Rape Allegation

At a press conference this afternoon, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke announced that the team had released defensive end Ray McDonald. This morning, police confirmed that McDonald was a suspect in a rape investigation, and in August he was arrested on domestic violence charges following an incident with his pregnant fianceé.

The 49ers stood firmly behind McDonald while his domestic violence case was unfolding, and repeatedly pointed to their respect for "due process" as the reason why McDonald was still playing. McDonald has not yet been arrested or charged with anything related to this rape allegation, but Baalke explained that the team decided to release him based on a "pattern of poor decision-making."