Why Kyle Juszczyk will not re-sign with the 49ers in 2021

The 49ers have other pressing NFL free agency worries other than fullback Kyle Juszczyk, meaning he likely won’t re-sign in 2021.

2020 was definitely not the revenge tour we all wanted to see from the San Francisco 49ers.

From losing star players to having to pack up and move midseason to Arizona, the Niners have had to overcome plenty of adversity this season. On top of that, NFL free agency will not be easy for San Francisco with so many important decisions looming. The team is going to have nearly 40 free agents hitting the market this offseason, including fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

With the Coronavirus pandemic, the NFL could not bring in as much revenue with minimal fans allowed in the stadium. That affected the NFL’s cap space, and in turn, may affect the 49ers’ ability to hold onto key players. According to Draft Kings, the Niners cap space for 2021 would be around $22,625,995. We should take into consideration the priority of re-signing left tackle Trent Williams.

Juszczyk has to know there is a strong possibility he will not be back in 2021 as a member of the 49ers.

Juszczyk’s 2020 campaign included 17 rushing attempts for 64 yards, an average of 3.8 yards per carry, a career high of two touchdowns, and 19 receptions. He has easily established himself as the best fullback in the league, currently. He is a versatile weapon for any offense and can be used all over the field. He does well as a blocker during play-action passes and can also be used as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

The Niners under-utilized Juszczyk down the stretch of last season, though. If San Francisco chooses to re-sign the fullback, it’ll need to put him on the field more.

Juszczyk is a great player and deserves a big contract, but with how little he seemed to be used towards the end of last season, the 49ers can’t exactly justify paying him a bigger contract if he’s not on the field that often.

Juice has seen the ups and downs of the Niners the last four years and was one of the first players brought in by then first-year head coach Kyle Shanahan back in 2017. You can see why Shanahan brought him in and how his impact was felt on the team. Shanahan is very much so an offensive-minded coach, and he loves the run game that can then allow for play-action passes.

Having No. 44 put that philosophy into action by being a great blocker and being able to run out wide. Juice has made his impact felt around the league and will be a great addition to any NFL team. With all the salary cap troubles the 49ers have to deal with, re-signing Juszczyk will not be a No. 1 priority. Plus, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk will be coming back fully healthy in 2021, and there will be no shortage of creative ways Shanahan can spread the ball around.

As for Juszczyk, based on his last press conference this season shown below, he realizes he most likely will not run it back with San Francisco again:

As a fan and a sports writer, I am excited to see what is next for his career. It will be a fun offseason story to see where he lands. Will it be the AFC or the NFC? With the LA Rams recently making the move for Detroit Lions quarterback Matt Stafford and the coaching history between Shanahan and the Rams’ Sean McVay, maybe Juice sticks around the NFC West and they face off twice a year.

The 2021 offseason is almost here and the future of one of the top fullbacks in the National Football League, Kyle Juszczyk, will be a story to keep tabs on.