And it didn't stop there, according to the source.

Each of the top layers of the Broncos organization called his matching 49ers colleague to apologize.

Broncos COO Joe Ellis personally phoned 49ers team president Jed York to express his apologies. Broncos coach Josh McDaniels called 49ers coach Mike Singletary to express the same sentiment.

The initial call Friday went from Ellis to York, with NFL executive VP Jeff Pash also on the line, listening in.

The two men spoke for close to 15 minutes, spelling out the situation. It marked the first time the 49ers became aware of the incident.

After they had heard about it, the 49ers were not concerned. For one thing, they won the game. For another, their offense is not highly sophisticated to where videotapes of a practice could help another team all that much.

San Francisco was satisfied with Denver's apologies, the league's explanation and it believes the case is closed as well.

The NFL fined the Broncos and McDaniels $50,000 each because the team's video operations director filmed a 49ers practice in London last month, breaking league rules.

An NFL investigation determined Steve Scarnecchia took a six-minute video of a walkthrough session Oct. 30 and presented it that day to McDaniels. The coach declined to view it. Still, the NFL fined both the coach and team because the matter was not promptly reported, as required by the league.

After the Broncos lost 33-26 on Sunday, McDaniels declined to respond during his postgame news conference to a report by Fox Sports that he told staff members in a meeting Friday that the Broncos' scandal wasn't on the same magnitude as the systemic illicit videotaping that happened in New England.

"I'm not going to talk about any reports or anything like that," McDaniels said, cutting off the question. "We addressed that all yesterday. I'm done with that. I'm done talking about that. OK? Thanks."