George Kittle Had Saddest Reaction to Watching Another 49ers Star Teammate Leave

Kristen Wong | Mar 10, 2025

George Kittle stands on the sideline with injury against the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers will be without at least two recognizable faces of their offense in 2025 after news broke of the organization's plans to release fullback Kyle Juszczyk Monday night.

Juszczyk spent the last eight years with the 49ers as one of the best at his position, earning Pro Bowl honors every season in San Francisco. His release comes over a week after the 49ers traded star wideout Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders.

49ers tight end George Kittle immediately reacted to Juszczyk's release with a sad, wordless post on social media. Kittle shared on X a broken heart emoji and a juice box emoji, a nod to the fullback's iconic "Juice" nickname.

Kittle also shared an old photo of him and Juszczyk on his Instagram Stories with the caption, "Day one juice."

Both Kittle and Juszczyk joined the 49ers in 2017 and developed a close friendship, with their wives, Claire Kittle and Kristin Juszczyk, bonding over the years as well.

The 49ers will save roughly $3 million by releasing the veteran fullback, a move that was admittedly on the team's radar in recent weeks. Juszczyk took a pay cut last offseason and was due to earn a base salary of $4.1 million in 2025, with a $100,000 signing bonus.

Juszczyk reportedly wants to continue playing in the NFL—it just won't be with longtime teammate Kittle in coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.

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