San Francisco 49ers team owner Jed York is making headlines for the wrong reasons. The peculiarity of a billionaire acting as such has generated a range of reactions, from serious ones to comical quips.
Speaking of which, an esteemed sports writer tried to pull off a joke while referring to another NFL owner.
Mike Silver Gives His Take on Jed York’s Actions
As former NBA player and veteran Bay Area broadcaster Tom Tolbert shared on X, Mike Silver made a lighthearted yet bizarre comment about the Jed York situation.
Silver, an NFL Senior Writer for The Athletic, said, “You mentioned Robert Kraft. You would say that it was the day before the AFC Championship Game and that his team was in Kansas City. Maybe in the future, people will not cut corners on these and maybe try to go a little higher end.”
Silver’s comment becomes clearer upon learning about the series of events. According to a report by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner and Tom Schad, court records show that York allegedly responded to an ad on a famous prostitution website and identified himself as ‘Joe.’
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However, while York reportedly arranged to have sexual activity for $140, he had no idea that he was responding to an undercover operation.
Mike Silver on the Jed York Situation
Presented by Fieldwork#49ers #jedyork #NFL pic.twitter.com/XPMdc3IsMN
— Tom Tolbert (@byronjr23) August 26, 2026
The East Palestine Police Department and the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force arrested York at the supposed meet-up location within the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community in Ohio.
York was initially charged with two misdemeanor counts, one for engaging in prostitution and another for possessing criminal tools. However, prosecutors amended the first charge to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. York pleaded no contest and entered a plea agreement. In addition to a one-day jail sentence for each charge, Jed York paid $1,150 in fines.
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Meanwhile, Silver mentioned the New England Patriots’ owner for dealing with two misdemeanor counts of solicitation of prostitution seven years ago. The first-degree charges stemmed from a police surveillance video featuring Kraft at a spa in Jupiter, Florida. The charges were dropped after the courts ruled the video evidence inadmissible.
Mike Silver Tried Explaining York’s Train of Thought
Even Jed York admitted that he made a mistake. Despite the blunder, Silver gave his perspective on why York resorted to this behavior.
“I’m not very judgmental about the act itself. I know Jed really well, and I know how much he loves his sons. I guess I would just say, first of all, we’ve gotten some news now on a divorce filing. Whatever he’s going through on the family side, I think that could play with your mind a little bit. And so, maybe, it’s not the normal Jed decision-making,” Silver shared with Tolbert.
Documents filed in the Santa Clara County Superior Court in California revealed that York filed for divorce from his wife, Danielle, last May. They have two sons.
