On Monday night, the San Francisco 49ers announced the release of Kyle Juszczyk, marking the end of an eight-season tenure with the team. Juszczyk was a consistent performer, earning Pro Bowl selections each year during his time in San Francisco. Despite his contributions, he will not be joining the Niners' prestigious 10-year club, which recognizes players with a decade of continuous service to the franchise.
Juszczyk, who is 33 years old, has been a significant asset for the 49ers since being one of the first free agents signed by coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch in 2017. Over his career with the Niners, he ran for 212 yards and five touchdowns on 60 carries and added 184 receptions for 1,895 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns. His achievements include being named first-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-team All-Pro in 2024.
Throughout his career, Juszczyk came close to winning the Super Bowl, with the 49ers reaching the final game twice during his tenure. However, the desire to secure a championship remains strong.
"I want to win a ring. I want to win a ring here. But again, if I'm forced to do it somewhere else, I've still got so much football left in me," Juszczyk expressed to ESPN after their season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Juszczyk's release creates a financial reprieve for the 49ers, saving them $2,926,000 against this year's salary cap while incurring a dead money charge of $3,570,750. Last offseason, Juszczyk nearly parted ways with the team but remained after agreeing to a pay cut.
Despite his release, Juszczyk remains optimistic about his future in football.
"I know I'm not done. I'm definitely not done playing. I've seen zero regression," he declared.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, a source confirmed that Juszczyk has no plans to retire and is keen to continue his career into 2025.
The decision to release Juszczyk comes as the team navigates financial constraints.
"We're trying to make everything work and [with] some tighter constraints than we've had in the past," explained John Lynch.
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