Aldon Smith has departed the Oakland Raiders to begin his one-year suspension, and will be eligible to return no earlier than November 17, 2016. He can apply for reinstatement 60 days prior to the year. At that point, the NFL will consider his status for reinstatement. They do not have to allow him back, but if he stays out of trouble, I imagine he gets back on the field.
Smith released a statement about his suspension, and it included some interesting comments. Most notably, he plans on returning to the Raiders next year once his suspension is up (he's a free agent after this season). But he also had some interesting comments about his August arrest. He talked about losing his love for the game, and leading to some poor choices. I don't really know what that means with regards to the 49ers, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Aldon Smith's statement on his suspension. pic.twitter.com/EJ35JFL2AE
— Rand Getlin (@Rand_Getlin) November 18, 2015