The San Francisco 49ers locked in fullback Kyle Juszczyk to a five-year deal making him the highest-paid fullback in the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers made it a priority to bring back fullback Kyle Juszczyk this offseason. The job is now done.
On Sunday, Juszczyk signed a $27-million contract to keep him around San Francisco for another five years.
More juice for everyone: The #49ers and FB Kyle Juszczyk have agreed to terms on a 5-year deal worth $27M, source said. It is signed. They keep their offensive weapon, a priority they concentrated on early. 🥤 🧃 🍊
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2021
That’s a whole lot of money for a fullback. In fact, he’s the highest-paid fullback in the league, according to his agency.
The 29-year-old confirmed the news on Twitter.
So incredibly thankful to be apart of this organization for 5 more years! Thank you Faithful for the continuous support! Looking forward to showing that the juice is always worth the squeeze 🧃🧃 https://t.co/nLnZMfAUa3
— Kyle Juszczyk (@JuiceCheck44) March 15, 2021
Kyle Juszczyk is a vital element to the 49ers offense
Juszczyk entered the NFL in 2013 as a fourth-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. He completed his four-year rookie deal as a Pro Bowler, drawing plenty of attention in the free-agent market. San Francisco won the sweepstakes by giving him a four-year $21-million contract. At the time, that deal was a gamble. It paid off.
The 49ers had every reason to be happy with that deal considering Juszczyk’s performance over the last four years. He’s been a Pro Bowl selection in each of his four seasons with the 49ers.
Stats don’t really do his importance justice. He’s never had more than 64 yards rushing in a season. However, his role as a receiving option out of the backfield has paid dividends with 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns in the last four years. One of those scores was in Super Bowl LIV. Even those receptions can’t capture why the 49ers were so eager to re-sign him.
George Kittle on Kyle Juszczyk:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 15, 2021
"He's one of one.
I don’t know that anyone does the things that he does on the football field.
I also think he’s incredibly under appreciated.
But people that watch football, the people that understand football, they get how important Juice is” https://t.co/GUvnBsQq8b pic.twitter.com/P34p44wIbR
Juszczyk brings value as a decoy and a blocker as well as a receiver. His presence allows the rest of the offense to thrive. Basically, he’s the model for a modern fullback, making life easier on quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, and offensive line.
The 49ers recognize that and are paying Juszczyk accordingly.