SANTA CLARA, Calif. — As Kyle Juszczyk walked to the bus to leave State Farm Stadium after the San Francisco 49ers‘ 2024 season ended, he was uncertain about what was next.
Juszczyk’s suspicion that he might have played his final game as a Niner was correct. The 49ers informed Juszczyk on Monday night that he is being released, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Juszczyk, 33, told ESPN after that season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals that he plans to play in 2025 no matter the team, a sentiment also shared by Schefter’s source.
“I know I’m not done,” Juszczyk said Jan. 5. “I’m definitely not done playing. I’ve seen zero regression. I think especially, I mean, you can turn on the last two games and please show me where I’ve regressed, so I have no plans of stopping.”
Juszczyk and the 49ers nearly parted ways last offseason before Juszczyk agreed to a pay cut to stay with the team. It seemed a similar agreement would be needed this offseason for Juszczyk to play a ninth season in San Francisco, though that did not materialize.
Juszczyk was due to count $6,496,750 on the 2025 salary cap and has void years on the deal through 2028 that would cost an additional $1,674,00 against the cap in 2026 after his contract was set to expire. Juszczyk’s release means the Niners will save $2,926,000 against this year’s cap with an immediate dead money charge of $3,570,750.
Juszczyk was one of the first free agents 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch signed after taking over in 2017.
Juszczyk was named to the Pro Bowl after each of his eight seasons in San Francisco and was first-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-team All-Pro in 2024. He ran for 212 yards and 5 touchdowns on 60 carries and added 184 catches for 1,895 receiving yards and 13 scores in his time with the team.
At the NFL scouting combine in February, Lynch hinted that Juszczyk might be moving on and that seemed more realistic when the team agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $20.3 million with tight end Luke Farrell on Monday. Farrell could handle some of Juszczyk’s former blocking duties.
“We’re trying to make everything work and [with] some tighter constraints than we’ve had in the past,” Lynch said then.
Juszczyk will also come up just short of landing a spot on the Niners’ 10-year club, which honors players who have played at least 10 consecutive seasons in San Francisco. The team hasn’t added any new members since Joe Staley in 2017.
Perhaps more bothersome for Juszczyk is that he came close to winning the Super Bowl on multiple occasions with the 49ers — including two losses in the big game.
“I want to win a ring,” Juszczyk said in January. “I want to win a ring here. But again, if I’m forced to do it somewhere else, I’ve still got so much football left in me. I still love the game so much. I’m still playing at a high level and I know there’s teams out there that can use me.”
