For most teams, losing the amount of players to injuries the San Francisco 49ers had out headed into last week’s NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles would have meant curtains on their season.
For the 49ers, the biggest loss was still to come when NFL All-Pro tight end George Kittle tore his Achilles tendon in the first half against the Eagles.
In his place stepped one of his closest friends and 10-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who responded with 4 receptions for 49 yards in the second half on the way to a 23-19 upset win in Philadelphia.
“Kyle Juszcyzk deserves a lot of credit,” 49ers fan Jon Reed wrote on X. “Basically became George Kittle when he went out.”
Juszczyk’s aggressive play – and how he treated Eagles defenders — was underlined by the NFL’s Game Day Accountability committee just hours before the 49ers traveled to face the No. 1 seed Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round as he was hit with 2 fines totaling $20,288 for illegal use of his helmet.
It was the second consecutive game Juszczyk was fined for illegal use of his helmet following the same penalty in a Week 18 win over the
One play in particular against the Eagles stood out, when Juszczyk used his helmet as a battering ram to bowl over struggling safety Reed Blankenship in the second half.
Juszczyk Seemed Headed Out of SF After 2024
Juszczyk, who is also a 4-time NFL All-Pro, seemed headed out of San Francisco after 8 seasons following the 2024, but reversed course and returned on a 2-year, $7.5 million contract he signed in March 2025.
“Juszczyk and the 49ers nearly parted ways last offseason before Juszczyk agreed to a pay cut to stay with the team,” ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote on March 10. “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.”
Made NFL History With TD in Super Bowl
Juszcyzk has once again proven to be invaluable to the 49ers — and done so in his 13th NFL season. He’s also the holder of a unique piece of NFL history as the first Harvard player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl.
At Harvard, Juszcyzk was actually an All-Ivy League tight end who finished his career with 125 receptions for 1,576 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“Kyle Shanahan looked for more ways to get Kyle Juszcyzk involved lately and especially with George Kittle going down last week,” NFL reporter Jon Reed wrote on X before the 49ers faced the Seahawks. “Jus has been getting split out wide more and had 4 targets and 4 catches last week for 49 RecYds. 2, 2, 4 targets L3 games. Think that continues today vs SEA on the road, where SF could possible be down early.”
NFL Comes Down Hard on 49ers Star After Playoff Win Over Eagles