Christian McCaffrey: Christian McCaffrey drops heartbreaking 2-word message to Kyle Juszczyk after 49ers release 9x Pro Bowler

Christian McCaffrey drops heartbreaking 2-word message to Kyle Juszczyk after 49ers release 9x Pro Bowler

Modified Mar 11, 2025 02:01 GMT

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers - Source: Imagn — Kyle Juszczyk (L) & Christian McCaffrey (R) - Source: Imagn

Kyle Juszczyk finds his time in San Francisco coming to an end. The 49ers have decided to move on from the nine-time Pro Bowl fullback. The decision isn’t exactly shocking, given GM John Lynch’s comments at the NFL Combine, where he kept things vague about Juszczyk’s future.

The 34-year-old veteran fullback’s effectiveness as a blocker had started to wane. His role was evolving more toward that of a hybrid tight end.

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Teammate and 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey took to Instagram with a gut-wrenching reaction. Sharing a photo of the two in Niners uniforms, McCaffrey wrote a two-word message for Juszczyk:

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“My Brother 💔"

Juszczyk may have seen this coming. After the 49ers' season ended in a 47-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in January, the Niners fullback shed light on his future in an interview with ESPN.

"There hasn’t been any discussion yet, but I am aware of the kind of situation that we have. There’s a lot up in the air and who’s going to be here, who’s not, some contracts that need to be figured out. So, I’m aware of that. I just hope it doesn’t affect me," Juszczyk said.

It looks like the Niners are going all in on embracing a shift toward traditional 12-person sets, which would give TE George Kittle an enhanced role.

Also read: In Pics: 49ers star Christian McCaffrey joins teammates George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk for star-studded night at SNL’s 50th anniversary

49ers financial motive behind releasing Kyle Juszczyk

The San Francisco 49ers made a cost-cutting move by Juszczyk in a financial decision that frees up cap space for the future. The nine-time Pro Bowler, who had been with the team since 2017, was let go after taking a pay cut last year. Kyle Juszczyk had signed a restructured contract worth $9.1 million, creating $4 million in cap space.

However, it wasn't enough as this is the second consecutive year the 49ers have parted ways with a longtime veteran to manage their salary cap even more. Just before cutting the veteran fullback, San Francisco signed former Jaguars tight end Luke Farrell to a three-year, $20.25 million deal.

Farrell will potentially be taking over some of Juszczyk’s duties while serving as Kittle’s primary backup. From a financial standpoint, the move makes sense. The 49ers will save $4.2 million against the cap in 2025 but will carry a $2.2 million dead money charge.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra