Aldon Smith leaves 49ers indefinitely; will miss Week 4 against the Rams

The San Francisco 49ers announced Sunday, after a lopsided home loss to the Indianapolis Colts, that linebacker Aldon Smith will take a voluntary leave of absence from the team in the wake of his Friday DUI arrest. Smith made the decision along with his head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Trent Baalke.

His leave of absence is for an indefinite amount of time, and he will not play on Thursday night in Week 4 against the St. Louis Rams. Smith will reportedly be going to rehab during his leave of absence.

Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that Smith would begin a rehab program for drug and alcohol use "sooner rather than later." After the game, San Francisco beat reporters noted that his locker had been cleared out.

Smith did play on Sunday against the Colts. He finished the game with five tackles, including one for a loss. The fact that he did play in this game was a surprise to some. He read a brief statement after the game, which included an apology.

It's a break for the struggling Rams, especially after allowing six sacks on Sam Bradford in a one-sided loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.