NEW YORK – Jed York wasted no time returning to NFL business.
On the first day he was eligible to resume his duties following a six-game suspension, the 49ers’ principal owner attended the NFL owners meetings Tuesday in New York.
His appearance marked an immediate return to league affairs after a suspension stemming from his August arrest in an Ohio prostitution sting. The NFL announced the punishment Oct. 2, fining York $500,000 for violating its personal conduct policy.
York did not talk to reporters upon arriving at Tuesday’s meetings.
The league credited York with three games already served because he had stayed away from the team during its investigation. That left three additional games before he could return Oct. 20.
The timing put his first day back on the same calendar square as the league’s fall meetings, bringing him directly into a gathering of his fellow owners.
For York, attending was a step toward resuming the responsibilities that come with leading the franchise. It also brought renewed attention to an episode for which he previously accepted responsibility and publicly apologized.
“This was an inexcusable mistake and I take full responsibility,” York said in his statement when the punishment was announced.
York was initially charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools. The prostitution charge was later amended to disorderly conduct as part of his no-contest plea agreement.
He pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools and received a one-day jail sentence on each charge, according to UPI. The league’s discipline followed its review of the matter.
In his earlier statement, York apologized to his family, the organization’s players, coaches and employees, and the team’s fans and partners. He also said he wanted his response to demonstrate accountability to his sons.
Tuesday’s appearance began the next phase: returning to the work while addressing the loss of trust he acknowledged when accepting the punishment.
The suspension had a defined endpoint. The process of repairing those relationships comes with no such timetable.
For now, York’s return started with a straightforward decision about where to spend his first day back.
He showed up to work alongside the league’s other owners.
