Kyle Juszczyk sounds off about the 49ers releasing and re-signing him

Kyle Juszczyk opened up about the four days he was released.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) looks on during the second half against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers faced several tough decisions this offseason regarding their veteran players.

A number of them departed for opportunities elsewhere as the front office shifted its focus toward cutting costs and investing in younger talent through the draft.

But one decision in particular sparked backlash from the 49ers faithful: releasing team leader Kyle Juszczyk and sending him into free agency.

The move didn’t make much sense at the time, and although he spent only four days on the open market before the 49ers brought him back, the reasoning behind the move still felt questionable.

Kyle Juszczyk reflects on how hard it was to hear the news

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) talk prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

At the time, the move didn’t make much sense, and it wasn’t as if Juszczyk was earning a large salary. It was one of the few offseason decisions that raised more questions than answers. But now, it appears he will likely finish his career as a Niner.

His leadership is a key part of the 49ers’ setup, and his experience has been pivotal in the Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch era, as he was one of their first signings in 2017. And following last week's win against the Arizona Cardinals, that was his 200th regular season game of his career.

Together with George Kittle, they have remained with the team throughout this nine-year stretch, naturally forming a close bond and becoming practically best friends on and off the field.

Juszczyk openly shared that one of the toughest moments was having to tell Kittle about his move into free agency, as he revealed on his podcast YouTube channel, Kittle Things.

"George and I are the two longest tenured 49ers [in the Kyle Shanahan era]. I only had a couple weeks on you because I was signed in March and you were drafted in April. But then you closed the gap by three days because I was a free agent for three days this offseason, thank god we signed back," Juszczyk began.

"The worst and hardest phone calls we had to make was facetiming you guys to tell you we weren't on the team for a little bit.

"It was a testament to our friendship because it definitely meant so much that the emotions it brought up, and being able to talk to you guys about that and reflect on everything we'd done. We were really sad about what we're going to miss out on, but thank god it worked out."

Little glimpses into their lifestyles show a more vulnerable side of just how cutthroat the NFL can be. But the 49ers made the right decision by bringing Juszczyk back after his brief release, even if it was officially for "financial things."

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