Juszczyk Details Emotional 49ers Return Decision

The San Francisco 49ers retained a good chunk of major contributors this offseason by handing out new contracts to quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle and defensive anchor Fred Warner, among others.

The defensive side of the ball saw some key changes after free agency losses to the starting lineup. Offensively, the roster saw just one noteworthy move ... but it only lasted about three days.

Kyle Juszczyk, a fan favorite and one of the NFL's last traditional fullbacks, was released in March after declining to take a pay cut on his next contract. Juszczyk was rumored to be interested in signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers following his visit to the Steel City, but the decision took more of a toll on him than he would've ever thought. He told The Athletic's Vic Tafur that the brief period after his release had been "the worst three days of my life."

“It was a different experience,” Juszczyk said about his free agency. “It was a chance to go look at a different team and I felt a lot of love from them. I got excited for a second about what possibly could be, about new beginnings and fitting into a new offense, all that type of stuff.

After spending the last eight years in San Francisco, something was calling Juszczyk to return.

"But at the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough to trump what I had in San Francisco," Juszczyk continued. "I just couldn’t pull the plug. Even the day I was released, the door wasn’t shut. There was always an opportunity for me to come back. [49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan] was very open about that. We didn’t know how it was going to work out . . . though I told myself after a day or two that wasn’t going to happen. I think deep, deep down, that’s what I was hoping for, is that there would be an opportunity to come back.”

Five full days after his release, Juszczyk signed a two-year contract worth $7.5 million.

He rejoins the 49ers for his ninth and tenth seasons in the Bay Area with the opportunity to extend a consecutive streak of Pro Bowl appearances since first joining the Niners in 2017.