The Santa Clara District Attorney’s office has elected not to file domestic violence charges against 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald due to insufficient evidence, reports Shelley Smith of ESPN.com (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Reports at the end of October had indicated that McDonald was unlikely to face charges.
Earlier this year, when Adrian Peterson, and Greg Hardy agreed to be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list while their legal cases played out, the 49ers faced increased scrutiny for allowing McDonald to continue playing. However, as the team pointed out at the time, while an incident involving the 30-year-old was being investigated, no formal charges had been made. McDonald was initially arrested on August 31 on suspicion of domestic violence.
While the 49ers’ defensive line is undergoing some changes, McDonald’s role figures to remain the same now that it appears he won’t face any sort of discipline from the league. Nose tackle Ian Williams suffered a fracture in his leg during yesterday’s game against the Saints, but the Niners figure to replace him with backup Quinton Dial or Glenn Dorsey, who is now eligible to come off the injured reserve list. McDonald is expected to continue on in his role at defensive end in San Francisco’s 3-4 scheme.