San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York has been suspended for six games and fined $500,000 for violating the NFL‘s personal conduct policy, the league announced Friday.
York was arrested in Ohio in August on suspicion of engaging in prostitution and pleaded no contest to a pair of misdemeanor charges.
He did not attend the 49ers’ first three games of the season amid the NFL’s investigation. Those games are credited toward his suspension, and he will be allowed to rejoin the team Oct. 20, the day after the 49ers face the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football.”
York said in a statement that he accepted the NFL’s decision and apologized to his family and the 49ers. “This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility,” York said. “What I did does not reflect my values or the man I strive to be for my family.”
According to Columbiana County (Ohio) court records obtained by ESPN, York allegedly responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website and “arranged to have sexual activity with the female in exchange for $140” while using a pseudonym. As part of his no-contest plea, York paid $1,150 in fines and was sentenced to one day in jail for each charge to be served concurrently, with one day already considered to be served.
York has been the majority owner of the Niners since 2024 but has been the team’s CEO since 2008.
The NFL has fined San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York $500,000 and suspended him for six regular-season games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. In late August, the 46-year-old York was arrested in Ohio after responding to a fictitious ad on a prostitution website.
“During the time the league’s investigation has been proceeding, York has stayed away from the 49ers’ first three regular-season games, as well as from NFL league meetings,” the league said in a statement on Friday, via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “Those three missed games are counted toward his suspension, and he may return on Tuesday, Oct. 20.”
That return coincides with Week 7 of the 2026 campaign, during which the currently undefeated Niners will face the Atlanta Falcons on the road on Oct. 25.
York also released a statement on Friday: “Today, the NFL concluded its review, and I accept its decision in full,” he said, via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “To my family, to the players, coaches, and employees of the San Francisco 49ers, to our fans and partners, I am deeply sorry.”
“This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility. What I did does not reflect my values or the man I strive to be for my family. While I fell short of the model I want to set for my sons, I now hope to show them the importance of owning up to one’s failures, and that even our worst moments teach us to be better. Leading the 49ers is a privilege, and one I don’t take lightly. Your trust will have to be earned back over time, and I look forward to that work ahead.”
