The NFL on Monday imposed a penalty on the 49ers that resulted in the club moving back four spots in the fourth round in this year’s draft and forfeiting their fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The league explained the violation as a payroll accounting error at the close of the 2022 league year in which the 49ers misreported the club’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 stated in announcing the penalties.
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The NFL announced the 49ers will forfeit their original fifth-round pick in next year’s draft. Additionally, their scheduled fourth-round selection at No. 131 overall will move down four spots, behind the compensatory selections, to No. 135 overall. It will be the final pick in the fourth round.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27.
The 49ers cooperated with the league’s probe into the “clerical payroll error” and announced the organization takes responsibility for the error and “accepts the imposed discipline.”
“At no time did we mislead or otherwise deceive the league or gain a competitive advantage in connection with the payroll mistake,” the 49ers stated.
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