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On a day in which Aldon Smith is celebrating his 24th birthday in rehab, we've learned a little but more about some of the details. Matt Maiocco is reporting that the 49ers will continue to pay his full salary while he remains away from the team. This comes out to $98,978 each week he is gone. When a player is listed on the non-football injury list, a team is not obligated to pay his salary, but teams sometimes negotiate payments.
Smith still faces a potential suspension and/or fine once his court matters are sorted out. His suspension would be without pay, so it is possible the 49ers do not want to cost him further in their attempts to help him get his life together.
Maiocco also reported another saying that "Smith will not return to action until it is deemed he has made 'significant progress.'" Over the course of this week, we've heard all sorts of discussion about when Aldon Smith might return from rehab. The most frequent time period mentioned is a month, but we've seen other mentions of longer timelines.
In reality, putting a specific time line on Aldon Smith's rehab is not going to help anybody. Yes it would be nice to get Aldon back sooner rather than later, but the key is him figuring out what is at the root of his issues, and begin the process of getting it rectified. He should come back when he is completely ready and able.