Three days after linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence, Washington’s football team claimed him off the waivers.

Foster was released by his previous team, the San Francisco 49ers, after the arrest. The NFL placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which means he can’t practice or attend games until the matter is reviewed, but will collect a salary and can attend other non-football activities like workouts at the team facility.

Foster was arrested in Tampa, Florida on Saturday. The Tampa Police Department said that, during a verbal altercation between him and a woman, “Foster slapped her phone out of her hand, pushed her in the chest area, and slapped her with an open hand on the left side of her face.” He faced two felony domestic violence charges in May, which were dismissed after the woman recanted her testimony.

The Washington team has acknowledged the charges against Foster, saying in a statement Tuesday from Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams that the team “fully understand[s] the severity of the recent allegations made against Reuben. If you, you can be sure these allegations are nothing our organization would ever condone. Let me be clear, Reuben will have to go through numerous steps including the full legal process, an investigation and potential discipline from the NFL, as well as meetings with counselors associated with the team before he will ever have the opportunity to wear the burgundy and gold as a player.”

The decision to acquire Foster was led by team president Bruce Allen, though the front office was not unanimous about it, reports the Washington Post.  The team did not inquire about his arrest with the Tampa Police, according to USA Today, and was the only team to make a claim on Foster, per multiple media reports.

Now, the team is facing blowback for its choice to hire the athlete, even among sports media. NBC Sports called it a “bad look,” Yahoo Sports zeroed in on the team’s owner, saying the situation exemplifies “the Dan Snyder brand of selfish hypocrisy,” while Sports Illustrated’s Monday Morning Quarterback podcast called Washington’s choice “one of the more cynical NFL transactions you will ever see … Consistently, women who are abused by athletes say the abusive mentality, and their own concessions to their abusers, are exacerbated by the abuser staying employed … Foster’s signing signals to anyone listening: Winning matters. People don’t.”

I don't think Reuben Foster will ever play a down for the Washington Redskins but that organization just told you today what they think about domestic violence.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) November 27, 2018

USA Today columnist Mike Jones wrote that there was “no justification” to add Foster to the roster, contrasting him to the still-unsigned Colin Kaepernick:

Last week, Washington lost quarterback Alex Smith to a broken leg. They have confidence in backup Colt McCoy as the new starter but needed to add another quarterback to the roster. The same men in charge of the franchise worked out proven scrubs, but couldn’t give Colin Kaepernick a sniff. Because, God forbid they kick the tires on a gifted athlete who protests by kneeling during the national anthem.

But a player looking for work immediately after an arrest on a domestic violence charge? You’re good, buddy—at least with this organization—no matter the cost or the offense.

NBC Washington characterizes signing Foster as both a smart football move and a bad decision, surmising that the team is “likely banking on how the outrage news cycle works. The team will get blasted on social media for signing Foster, but in a few days, the Twitter mob—no matter how justified—will move on to some new target.”

And certainly, there are those heralding the choice as a savvy one, or adopting a “wait and see” attitude given all of the unknowns about Foster’s legal situation.

But for a franchise that is having trouble getting fans in the seats, despite currently being tied for first place in the NFC East, this may represent yet another alienating move.

“This team is the exact opposite of ‘every time I think I’m out they pull me back in,’ ” one disillusioned fan told D.C. Sports Bog. “Every time I want to buy back in, they find a way to repulse me anew.”