If there’s 1 person in the history of the NFL who understands what it takes to survive a scandal, it’s former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, 3-time Super Bowl champion, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin.
It was Irvin who recently came to the defense of embattled San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York following his arrest in a prostitution sting in Ohio.
Irvin stood up for York on a livestream with social media influencer Neon.
“(York) got divorced like 5-6 months ago,” Irvin said. “Is that really a crime? Let that man off. Leave that man alone. Imagine you’re going through a divorce and some young girl, some pretty girl, comes up to you, hitting on you, and she’s undercover … you don’t know. Everybody’s paying for it. You’re paying for it, regardless. Why do we gotta embarrass (York) over $140?”
York allegedly agreed to pay $140 to a sex worker he contacted online and was arrested while driving to a mobile home park to meet.
Michael Irvin’s Wild History of Scandals
Irvin’s history of off-field transgressions is too lengthy to list here, but includes every form of transgression you might imagine for a high-profile professional athlete.
Jeff Pearlman’s 2008 book “Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty” probably does the best job of giving an unfiltered account of that, with the 2025 Netflix documentary series “America’s Team: The Gambler And His Cowboys” not far behind.
“Michael Irvin says it doesn’t matter if San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York pays a woman to have sex with him … because even guys who don’t hook up with sex workers have to pay to get a little action!” Cowboys fan Greg B wrote on his official X account. “BTW Irvin is currently married … for now anyway.”
Lurid Details Surrounding Jed York’s Arrest
York, 46, became the 49ers’ CEO in 2008 and in 2024 became the team’s principal owner. The York family, which owns more than 90 percent of the 49ers, has an estimated net worth of $8.5 billion.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, York reportedly used a fake name to set up the meeting via text message and drove to what he believed would be an hour-long sexual encounter in a trailer park in exchange for $140.
After the officers find the money York put aside for the encounter, they find an undisclosed amount more cash in his wallet.
“He’s got all the money … he’s got a (expletive) load of money,” one officer says. “Wow. It’s crazy that people do this. They could do whatever they want. Like, they could do other things; they could go other ways. It’s wild.”
From The Chronicle: “On Saturday, York responded to an advertisement on a prostitution website, according to the report. He said his name was ‘Joe’ and asked to arrange a visit. Some time passed without a response. York then messaged again, “just checking in” to see if the woman was available. Still, there was no response. On Sunday morning, York again ‘asked if the woman was free,’ and said ‘that he would love to come and see her.’ An undercover officer responded. Later that day, driving a rental car and carrying $160 in cash, York pulled into the meetup location at an East Palestine, Ohio, mobile home park. He was met by police.”
Dallas Cowboys Legend Michael Irvin Defends 49ers Owner: ‘Everybody’s Paying For It’