The NFL stripped the 49ers of their 2025 fifth-round draft pick and moved their 2024 fourth-round pick down in the draft order as punishment for what was termed a “clerical error.” San Francisco General Manager John Lynch says that error was a payroll mistake that led to a player getting an additional $75,000.
Lynch wouldn’t name the player who received the money but said it was simply an honest mistake with a new payroll system, not an attempt to circumvent the salary cap.
“It was a clerical error — there was a new system in place,” Lynch said, via TheAthletic.com. “We own our part. We went through a whole mitigation issue. But the league decided to impose that, so you take your medicine and move on.”
Lynch acknowledged the 49ers needed to promptly report the payment to the league, as every dollar a team pays a player must be reported.
“That’s where our culpability was,” he said. “So we’ve learned from that.”
Lynch did not answer directly when asked whether the team got the $75,000 back from the player.