The San Francisco 49ers have just two holdovers on their roster from when head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch took over their respective duties in 2017: tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
There's no questioning the Niners will let Kittle round out his Hall of Fame career in the Bay Area, if he wants to, but the same can't exactly be said about the perennial Pro Bowl fullback.
Entering 2024, San Francisco released Juszczyk in a cap move that was part of a greater cash-savings measure, only to pivot and re-sign him not long thereafter on a lower contract. It certainly worked for both parties, especially in light of just how crucial Juice is for Shanahan's offense.
But a similar situation is potentially on the horizon, and the 49ers may not opt to take the same approach.
Kyle Juszczyk's impending free agency is a possible turning point in his 49ers career
Entering 2026, the Niners are one of the older teams across the league, and the 35-year-old Juszczyk certainly skews the data in the wrong direction.
That said, entering year 14 of his NFL career, the 10-time Pro Bowler has shown no signs of slowing down or exploring retirement.
"I just feel so good, and I’m still having so much fun,"Juszczyk told NFL Network's The Insiders. "I’m in zero pain whatsoever, and, like you said, I feel like I’m still playing at such a high level."
Yet Juszczyk is entering a contract year, one that'll count nearly $2.9 million against the cap, and he'll be an unrestricted free agent once 2027 rolls around.
Granted, that's not a massive amount of cash, in light of how much Juice does for the offense, Yet the question still arises: Does San Francisco still value him at that level and at his age, and would it entertain yet another extension or re-sign as he approaches being age 36 an offseason from now?
The 49ers have already flirted with the idea of having him off the roster, and the next go-around could fully commit to that inevitable route.
Either way, there's a reasonable chance one of the Niners' two longest-tenured players may no longer be in town a little less than a year from now, and it'd certainly be sad if that winds up being the case.
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