How the 49ers Will Use Kyle Juszczyk and Luke Farrell this Year

The 49ers base offense could have a new configuration this year.

Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) is unable to make a catch next to Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard III (31) in the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The 49ers base offense could have a new configuration this year.

In the past, you knew the 49ers would use "21 personnel" on 1st and 10 early in games. That's two wide receivers, one tight end, one running back and one fullback. On second and long and third down, that's when the 49ers would take their fullback off the field and replace him with a third wide receiver.

Occasionally, the 49ers would use a second tight end instead of a fullback, but those instances were few and far between, mostly because the 49ers' second tight end wasn't particularly good.

That's why the 49ers signed Luke Farrell this offseason. He's the best backup tight end they've had since George Kittle became the starter and Kyle Shanahan became the head coach.

This year, the 49ers will pay Farrell more than $6 million while they'll pay Kyle Juszczyk less than $4 million, which suggests that the 49ers might use their second tight end more than their fullback. This would be a big evolution for their offense.

In the past, even when Juszczyk was in his prime, the 49ers only ran the ball well behind George Kittle. When they tried to run the ball away from Kittle, they almost always struggled.

Now, they'll be able to line up Kittle on one side of the formation and Farrell on the other and run the ball effectively in either direction. This should make the entire offense much more difficult to defend.

Don't be surprised if Farrell takes Juszczyk's place in the starting lineup.