"Felt like a lifetime" - Kyle Juszczyk opens up on tough experience before signing $8,000,000 deal with 49ers

Kyle Juszczyk couldn’t be more relieved to have his contract situation sorted out, signing an extension with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday for two more years in a deal worth $8 million. The Niners fullback opened up on Tuesday about how uneasy he felt being on the free agent market even for a short time.

"It was a short stint that I was a free agent, but for me I mean it felt like a lifetime," Juszczyk said.

Juszczyk has been with San Francisco since 2017, which was the first time he entered free agency. He’d played his first four NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Niners on a four-year, $21 million contract in Mar. 2017.

News of Juszczyk’s return came just a few days after the club released him on Tuesday assuming he would cost too much.

Juszczyk said he knew taking reduced wages may have been necessary in order for him to remain a Niner.

"You know I had discussions with them (the 49ers) throughout the off-season that maybe it was a possibility that I was gonna have to take a paycut or that we’re going to have to rework some things in my contract," Juszczyk added.

In March 2021, Juszczyk signed a five-year contract with the 49ers worth $27 million, which equated to an annual salary of $5.4 million. On his new contract, he will make 1.4 million less each season than before.

The Niners released him so that he could look at what’s out there and see if he might be able to get a better deal somewhere else.

"We looked into it. Just to put it in the simplest terms at the end of the day, it was too much to leave home," he added. "I wanted to be a Niner and we were able to get to a number that I was comfortable with."

When he was released, the club took a $3.6 million cap hit.

Kyle Juszczyk’s reduced work load

Over the past seasons, the Niners hadn’t utilized Kyle Juszczyk quite as much. The former Harvard graduate had just five rushing attempts in each of the past two campaigns, with 26 yards on the ground in 2024 and six in 2023. He had 17 carries in their 2020 campaign, with that number going down to eight the following season and then seven in 2022.

Regardless of that he’s been a valuable blocker and pass catcher for this team, putting up over 200 yards receiving in nine NFL seasons.

He was a Second-Team All-Pro in 2024 after reaching the First-Team the previous season, and he has appeared in the Pro Bowl nine times.