49ers' Kyle Juszczyk opens up about NFL future and retirement outlook

Fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been a cornerstone of the San Francisco 49ers offense since head coach Kyle Shanahan arrived in 2017. His long tenure with the team appeared to be coming to an end earlier this offseason when the 49ers released him in what looked like a cap-saving move. But just days later, San Francisco re-signed the veteran fullback to a new two-year deal.

As for Juszczyk's long-term future, the fullback hasn't given much thought about retirement, feeling good as he heads into his 13th NFL season.

The nine-time Pro Bowler told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship golf tournament in Lake Tahoe that he still feels healthy and capable of playing at a high level.

"I always leave it open-ended," Juszczyk said. "When you're 34, people ask how many more years you've got, which is understandable. I ask the same questions to people my age. And I can't give a definitive answer because I still feel so well, and I feel like I'm still playing well.

"So I'm just gonna keep riding it out and go season by season. I know I've got at least two because I'm locked up for two, and I'm really excited about that. But then after that, we'll play it by ear. Hopefully, I've got a couple more after that, but we'll see."

The 49ers' plan for life after Juszczyk remains unclear. While many NFL teams have phased out the fullback position entirely, Shanahan's system continues to rely on one. Still, San Francisco hasn't groomed a clear successor behind Juszczyk, and he's taken notice.

"I don't know what direction they're gonna go," Juszczyk admitted. "It is a little surprising [we haven't brought in a successor]. We've had some practice-squad fullbacks for maybe part of the season, a couple of years, but a lot of the years, we haven't even had that.

"So, I don't know exactly what their plan is, but hopefully that just shows faith in me that they think I can still do it for a while."

At 34 years old, Juszczyk remains one of the most versatile and respected fullbacks in the league. As long as he's healthy and productive, it sounds like he's not ready to hang up his cleats anytime soon.