Juszczyk reveals possible NFC West suitor had he been cut by 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
In March, the 49ers restructured fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s contract, saving the team $1.75 million in cap space.
Though Juszczyk admitted to being “hurt” by the team’s request for a pay cut, he ultimately accepted the salary decrease.
Recently, the NFL’s highest-paid fullback told the San Francisco Chronicle why he ultimately chose to stay with San Francisco while also revealing a possible suitor within the division had he been cut.
“Juszczyk had potential landing spots, including some that surprised him; for example, the [Arizona] Cardinals, an NFC West rival that runs a single-back, three-receiver base offense, were among the teams that emerged as options should he be released,” columnist Mike Silver reported in the article.
Juszczyk playing against the 49ers twice per year would have been a weird sight, especially given his utility for the San Francisco offense over the last seven seasons. However, the Cardinals’ offer, as well as those from every other team, weren’t enough to seduce Juszczyk.
“At the end of the day, I do absolutely love it in San Francisco. … It’s hard to put a price tag on knowing literally everybody in the building,” Juszczyk disclosed to Silver. “So it was gonna take a lot for someone to uproot me. There were a lot of teams that were interested, but nobody that was gonna blow me away and make it worth giving all that up.”
Nevertheless, the dispute was an understandable blow to the veteran’s ego, especially since Juszczyk still believes he’s at the top of his game. He even tossed in a dig at Pro Football Focus’ analysis of his play in recent seasons.
“I felt like throughout the playoffs I was playing some of my best ball,” Juszczyk asserted. “And by no means do I feel like my play has declined, contrary to what PFF thinks. … They like to show that since 2019 I’ve gotten worse and worse and worse.”
Obviously, the 49ers’ pay cut demand doesn’t indicate the most confidence in the 33-year-old’s play, but the decision to keep Juszczyk as the NFL’s priciest fullback still gives credence to his importance in the organization’s success.