The 49ers are not being shy about their current financial situation.
San Francisco, via trade and free agency, has shed an abundance of salary this offseason, and one of the 49ers' departures, albeit momentarily, spoke out about the team's message to him before his release.
Veteran fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who San Francisco released at the start of the NFL's new league year on March 12 and eventually re-signed with the 49ers on Saturday, joined SiriusXM NFL Radio on Tuesday, where he discussed his hectic offseason and revealed what the 49ers told him in the days leading up to his initial release.
"It was a short stint that I was a free agent, but for me, I mean, it felt like a lifetime," Juszczyk said. "I had had discussions with them 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 and that I needed to be prepared for.
"And just as things went on, just the optimist in me started telling myself 'Man, I don't think we're going to have to do this, it's getting close to the actual free agency period, haven't heard too much, things are kind of looking good.' But then they finally, a couple days before that, were like 'Yeah, this is a real thing, the financial restrictions we're under are a real thing.'"
.@49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk discussed how happy he is to re-sign and be back in San Francisco 🧃
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 18, 2025
📻 https://t.co/HneXqZTnXF#49ers | #FTTB | @JuiceCheck44 pic.twitter.com/nh7qL1KIIK
Juszczyk visited the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency after his 49ers release, and while the 33-year-old fullback did have interest from other teams, he ultimately was able to work out a deal with the organization he spent the previous eight seasons with, an outcome he is thrilled about.
San Francisco 49ers
"They kind of put it in my corner whether I wanted to be released or if we wanted to continue to try and negotiate a pay cut, but I think like anybody, it's good to see what your market is," Juszczyk added. "So they gave me the opportunity to do that, so me and my agent went to work and we had some interested teams. We explored those possibilities because I feel like that's fair to me and my family. You've got to explore those possibilities, even if it's something deep down you maybe don't want to do.
"We looked into it and I think, to put it in the simplest terms, 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. I couldn't be happier, and I'm trying not to look back at all, I'm just happy to be there and [to] know I'm locked in for two more years."
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The 49ers have approached Juszczyk about pay cuts in back-to-back offseasons, and although the fullback is under contract for two more seasons, it wouldn't be surprising if both sides are in a similar position next offseason.
However, at least for the 2025 NFL season, Juszczyk is a 49er.
