San Francisco 49ers chief executive Jed York has been banned by the NFL for six games and handed a hefty fine after being arrested in a prostitution sting.
The NFL ruled that York had broken its personal conduct policy after he paid $160 for sex in an Ohio trailer park in August.
The 46-year-old, who has been married to his wife Danielle since 2011 but filed for a divorce in May, released a statement after the NFL handed down its decision.
“Today, the NFL concluded its review, and I accept its decision in full,” he said. “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,” he said.
York was hit with a $500,000 fine on top of the six-game ban. He could return after the team’s Oct. 20 game against the Washington Commanders and rejoin the team for the Oct. 25 game against the Atlanta Falcons. He has already served the first three games of his six-game suspension.
York, whose family is worth $8.5 billion, according to Forbes, pleaded no contest after he was arrested on Aug. 23 at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in East Palestine.
Court documents show that York responded to an undercover ad on a known prostitution website by law enforcement and “arranged to have sexual activity with the female.”
He was greeted by law enforcement when he arrived at the trailer park and was arrested.
He was initially charged with engaging in prostitution, but those charges were amended to disorderly conduct, and he was sentenced to one day in jail. He was also fined $1,150.
John York took control of the San Francisco 49ers in 2000, with his son Jed taking over in 2008.
York’s ban comes at a troubling time for the 49ers off the field after head coach Kyle Shanahan crashed his car into a 21-year-old woman’s SUV in the Bay Area on July 14.
The crash left Shanahan with a concussion, a broken left hand, a broken nose, three broken ribs, and 40 stitches above his right eye.
“I was not on my phone, but I dropped my phone and it was stuck in my seats. It’s on my lap, and it slid off. And I went down to look for it and took my eyes off the road for two seconds. And as I was coming up, the airbags hit me in my face, and they broke my nose. And then they said the visor really gashed me... I took my eyes off the road looking for my phone, and my car veered into someone,” Shanahan said. “It’s one of those roads where there’s no forgiveness. ... When I hit her, the impact was just so, I’ll just never forget how violent it was.”
The 49ers did not punish Shanahan after the accident
