The San Francisco 49ers originally released fullback Kyle Juszczyk from the team early in the offseason. After speculation that Juszczyk would sign with a new team, the 12-year veteran re-signed with San Francisco.
Juszczyk signed a two-year, $8 million contract and will remain with the 49ers next season. On Tuesday, the 33-year-old fullback explained exactly what transpired during the release and re-signing with the organization.
During a guest appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Kyle Juszczyk claimed that the 49ers originally wanted to restructure his contract and give him a pay cut. Instead, Juszczyk opted to be released and test the market. Ultimately, he wanted to return to San Francisco and the two sides negotiated a new deal.
“They put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or continue to negotiate a pay cut,” Juszczyk said. “I think it’s good to see what your market is, so they gave me the opportunity to do that. Me and my agent, we went to work and we had some interested teams, we explored those possibilities. It was too much to leave home,” he said. “I wanted to be a Niner and we were able to get to a number I was comfortable with and we made a deal and I couldn’t be happier.”
The 49ers made numerous moves this offseason and have lost several key players in the process. However, they were able to keep Kyle Juszczyk on the team moving forward, offering stability in the backfield.
Juszczyk is more than just a fullback for the 49ers, though. Not only does he serve as a lead blocker for running back Christian McCaffrey, but he also gets some run opportunities, as well as receiving opportunities.
The star fullback finished the 2024 campaign with 226 total yards and three total touchdowns. We should expect to see him on the field often next season, as he’s one of the few veterans who returned to the roster despite being released.
Some other notable players that left the 49ers roster include Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga (both signed with the Denver Broncos), Debo Samuel (traded to the Washington Commanders), Maliek Collins (signed with the Cleveland Browns), and Javon Hargrave (signed with the Minnesota Vikings).
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