The release of Kyle Juszczyk seemed logical, especially given the San Francisco 49ers' offseason roster purge. Most believed the fullback's time in the Bay Area was over. He even visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, which appeared to be a likely next destination for the veteran.
Then, on March 15—just five days after news broke that the 49ers were releasing Juszczyk—the team surprisingly brought him back on a new two-year, $8 million deal. Reports even indicated that Juszczyk turned down a more lucrative offer to remain with the 49ers.
Juszczyk recently joined SiriusXM NFL Radio to discuss his brief time as a free agent and his decision to return to the team he's called home for the past eight years. He admitted that his short stint on the open market felt like a lifetime.
Juszczyk shared that the 49ers had been upfront with him throughout the offseason about the possibility of taking a pay cut.
"It was just something that they put on my radar and something that I needed to be prepared for," Juszczyk said. "And just as things went on, just the optimist in me started telling myself that, 'Man, I don't think we're gonna have to do this. It's getting close to the actual free agency period. I 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.' And they kind of put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or if we wanted to continue to try and negotiate a pay cut."
Juszczyk felt it would be good to test his market value, and the 49ers gave him the opportunity by releasing him.
There was interest from other teams, and Juszczyk was open to exploring those options for himself and his family. However, there was always a lingering thought in the back of his mind.
"I think, just to put it in the simplest terms, at the end of the day, it was too much to leave home," Juszczyk admitted. "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, and I couldn't be happier. And I'm trying not to look back at all. I'm just happy to be there and know I'm locked in for two more years."
