Facing NFL’s Penalty, 49ers Tried to Recoup $75K From a Player as GM John Lynch Admits Overpaying During COVID Era

The San Francisco 49ers find themselves navigating choppy waters after a costly payroll mistake. General Manager John Lynch admitted the team overpaid a player a whopping $75,000 during the chaotic COVID-19 era – a misstep that ultimately led to an NFL penalty docking the club’s draft capital.

“This was back in the COVID era, and there was a new system in place, and so it happened,” Lynch candidly stated on Monday addressing reporters at the NFL owner’s meetings.“We own our part.” Instead of immediately reporting the $75k overpayment, the 49ers sought to recoup the money directly from the unidentified player – a decision Lynch acknowledged was an error in judgment. “Part of the issue, we tried to recoup it, as opposed to reporting it. That’s where our culpability was.”

The NFL didn’t take kindly to San Francisco’s attempt at self-rectifying the situation. “We eventually did report it, but we kind of went down the road of trying to recoup it. And the player did what you think he’d do,” Lynch said, referring to the player’s refusal to return the accidental windfall.

While Lynch believes the punishment of forfeiting a 2025 5th-round pick was too severe given their cooperation, he understands the 49ers made a costly mistake during uniquely challenging circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a transition to new payroll systems, compounding the complexity of operations. “We’ve gone through a whole mitigation deal to remedy some of the issues that happened. But the league decided to impose that [penalty], so you take your medicine and move on.”

The timing couldn’t be worse, as San Francisco desperately needs to nail the 2024 draft to maintain its championship window. The 49ers’ original 4th round pick (131st overall) was pushed back to 135th, and they lost next year’s 5th rounder entirely – picks that have yielded starters like George Kittle, Talanoa Hufanga, and Dre Greenlaw in recent years. “You hate to see a fifth-round pick next year [forfeited],” Lynch lamented. “The fifth round has been good to us.”

San Francisco 49ers’ penalty shifts focus to draft strategy amidst compensatory picks

While hardly a knockout blow, the disruption to San Francisco’s 2024 draft plans is an unnecessary handicap for a team with well-documented salary cap constraints. Every pick is precious, especially for a club relying on rookie contracts to balance big-money veterans like Brandon Aiyuk.

Read More: San Francisco 49ers 2024 Draft Picks: Full List of Picks in Each Round, Draft Order, Compensatory Picks & More

The 49ers still possess 10 total picks in this year’s draft, including 3 in the pivotal 4th round after compensatory selections. But the lost original 5th rounder stings, considering their history of striking gold on Day 3. Striking the right balance between addressing immediate needs and securing developmental prospects is now more challenging.

San Francisco must overcome this self-inflicted obstacle to fortify the roster around its established core. Optimizing draft capital by weighing needs vs value will be critical as they aim to shave off the final yards separating them from a championship. The miscue may be a small bump, but navigating it successfully could determine whether the 49ers remain legitimate contenders or start tumbling from the NFL’s upper echelon.

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