49ers 9-time Pro Bowler explains emotions after being released and re-signed
Juszczyk, 33, was coming off a 17-game season where he earned his ninth Pro Bowl and second All-Pro selections. He also had his most efficient season rushing the ball, averaging 5.2 yards per attempt (26 yards on five carries).
However, just a short time after the stunning move, the 49ers and Juszczyk agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract that actually gave him more security than he had prior, and while h's glad to be the second-highest-paid fullback in the NFL, those days where he was without a job still put some stress on him.
'It was the worst three days of my life, but I'm genuinely grateful for it now," Juszczyk told The Athletic's Vic Tafur on Thursday. "It gave me so much perspective to kind of step back and see how good I had it — and then get the chance to come back to it. So few people have that opportunity. We jokingly called it a living funeral. I got all my goodbye texts — 'how much we loved you and appreciated you' and all that type of stuff, but then I got to come back.
"So I got to feel that love from everybody. And I'm locked up for two years. I don't have to deal with this next year and I'm thankful for it now that it's over.'
Juszczyk originally came to the 49ers in 2017 after spending the first four years of his professional career with the Baltimore Ravens, who took him in the fourth round (No. 130) of the 2013 NFL draft out of Harvard. And since then, the Crimson product has loved being part of the franchise, and that's why he chose to return to San Francisco.
"It's so much," Juszczyk said. "Everything you just said, being able to walk into the building, and I literally know everyone. I know the chefs, the custodians, the PR team, the community team. I know all the players, like it's just a familiarity. My home is there. We bought a house back in 2017, and like, that's home. And to be in California, to be on what I think is a really good team, a team that I think has a really great opportunity this year. So there's just too many good things."
In his mid-30s, Juszczyk is still one of the top fullbacks in the game, and that should continue into the 2025 season, where he'll be asked to block for Christian McCaffrey again, after the former first-round pick missed most of last year due to injuries.
While there was quite a bit of turnover for the 49ers this offseason, having Juszczyk back as a steady presence on the field and in the locker room is very important. San Francisco risked losing him for a few days, but they should be glad that he's back for another two years in the red, white and gold.
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