49ers’ Juszczyk: Free Agency Only Lasted a Week, but ‘Felt Like a Lifetime’

The veteran fullback had a roller coaster week, being cut by the 49ers, then re-signing with them a week later.

Kyle Juszczyk (44) of the San Francisco 49ers on the sidelines during the NFL game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Jan. 5, 2025. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk is grateful to be back with the team.

Juszczyk was released by the 49ers last week; he re-signed with the team Wednesday after a brief period as an unrestricted free agent. In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio Tuesday—the day before his re-signing was made official—Juszczyk said he wanted to stay in the Bay Area, but was cut for financial reasons.

“It was a short stint that I was a free agent, but for me, I mean it felt ... like a lifetime,” said the veteran fullback, who will enter his 13th season in the NFL in 2025.

“I had had discussions with [the 49ers front office] throughout the offseason that maybe it was a possibility that I was going to have to take a pay cut, or we’re going to have to rework some things in my contract, but it was never anything definite, it was just something they put on my radar, something that I needed to be prepared for,” Juszczyk said.

“As things went on, just the optimist in me started telling myself that, ‘Man, I don’t think we’re gonna have to do this. It’s getting close to the actual free agency period. I haven’t heard too much. Things are kind of looking good.’ But then they finally, a couple days before [free agency], were like, ‘Yeah, this is a real thing, the financial restrictions we’re under are a real thing.’ And they kind of put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or if we wanted to continue to try and negotiate a pay cut.”

After the first wave of free agency, the 49ers currently have the sixth-highest cap space in the NFL—just over $43.7 million, according to Spotrac. However, they also have the highest amount of dead money in the league—more than $77 million in salaries for players who are no longer with the team. San Francisco has two more players designated as post-June 1 cuts—defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Maliek Collins—which will make that dead cap figure even higher.

As a result, the 49ers were forced to let several key contributors walk in free agency. Cornerback Charvarius Ward signed with the Indianapolis Colts; safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw both signed with the Denver Broncos; guard Aaron Banks signed with the Green Bay Packers; tackle Jaylon Moore signed with the Kansas City Chiefs; Hargrave signed with the Minnesota Vikings; and linebacker Leonard Floyd signed with the Atlanta Falcons. The team also traded wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders.

After Juszczyk briefly tested the waters of free agency, he re-signed with the 49ers to a two-year deal in order to stay in San Francisco.

“I think, like anybody, it’s good to see what your market is,” Juszczyk said. “So they gave me the opportunity to do that. So me and my agent went to work, and we had some interested teams. ... At the end of the day, it was too much to leave home. I wanted to be a Niner, and we were able to get to a number that I was comfortable with. And then we were able to make the deal, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Juszczyk was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens out of Harvard in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He signed with the 49ers in 2017 and has become a mainstay of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, with double-digit receptions and a handful of carries in each of his eight seasons with the team. The nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro is one of just 12 true fullbacks in the NFL with active contracts.