49ers Face NFL Draft Penalties for Payroll Error

A $75,000 overpayment to a player during the COVID era leads to draft pick consequences for San Francisco.

The San Francisco 49ers will lose a 2025 fifth-round draft pick and have their 2024 fourth-round pick moved back four slots due to a clerical payroll error involving an overpayment of $75,000 to a player.
General Manager John Lynch stated the overpayment occurred during the COVID era under a new system, accepting responsibility and emphasizing that it did not give the team a competitive advantage.
The NFL determined that the 49ers would have remained under the salary cap regardless of the error and found no intent to circumvent the cap.
Lynch highlighted the team's efforts to recoup the overpayment from the player, who refused to return the money, leading to the NFL's imposed penalty.
Despite the penalty, Lynch remains optimistic, citing past successes with fifth-round picks, including star tight end George Kittle, and focusing on optimizing the team's remaining draft capital.