49ers penalized in next 2 drafts for payroll error

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers have forfeited a 2025 draft choice and were penalized four spots for a selection in this year’s draft as a result of administrative payroll accounting errors, the NFL announced Monday.

The Niners will give up their original fifth-round choice in the 2025 draft and have their 2024 fourth-round selection move from No. 131 to No. 135.

“We take responsibility and accept the imposed discipline from the NFL due to a clerical payroll error,” the Niners said in a statement. “At no time did we mislead or otherwise deceive the league or gain a competitive advantage in connection with the payroll mistake.”

According to a statement from the NFL, a league review discovered the payroll accounting errors at the end of the 2022 league year that resulted in “a misreporting of the team’s cumulative player compensation.”

“The NFL determined that the club would have remained under the salary cap at all times regardless of the error and there was no intent to circumvent the cap,” the league statement read.

After the penalties, the Niners still have 10 total picks in the upcoming draft, including three in the fourth round (Nos. 124, 132 and 135).

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