San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch feared the worst when Kyle Juszczyk went down against the Denver Broncos. The fullback’s knee injury turned out to be far less serious than it looked.
Lynch Reveals His First Reaction to the Injury
Lynch spoke Thursday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. He said the play looked like a torn ACL to him. “That, to me, to my eye, had ACL written all over it. It just did not look right,” Lynch said. “First of all, he’s doing very well, and we all are extremely grateful for that.”
Initial tests showed Juszczyk’s ACL was intact. An MRI on Monday confirmed it. He has a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise instead.
Why Juszczyk Avoided a Bigger Injury
Lynch credited the fullback’s toughness and instincts. “It speaks to Juice’s toughness, his physical prowess, all the hard work he’s put in, and also his instinct,” Lynch said. “I think Juice is a really aware player of what’s around him. And for him to not be able to see that guy, but to feel someone and pull his leg out of there at the last second, I think that’s probably what saved him.”
Lynch Explains Why the 49ers Will Miss Juszczyk
The 49ers will play at Lumen Field on Sunday without him. Lynch called it a big loss. “Almost every time we go to him, he comes through, and he comes through in a big way,” Lynch said. “But there’s so much nuance to his game, the way we motion him. That’s hard to do, the change of direction, and then being able to see things on the move.”
He called Juszczyk one of the best “processors” on the field. Lynch said coaches and running backs trust him to read the defense quickly. “You tell halfbacks oftentimes, ‘Let the fullback be your eyes.’”
Lynch also pointed to the flexibility Juszczyk gives head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense. “It’s called 21 personnel, typically, when Juice is in there,” Lynch said. “But we can become anything out of that. Juice can split out, play a receiver. He can do all that motion.”
49ers Look to Fill the Void
Jake Tonges would normally step into the role, but he is out for the season with a torn MCL. That leaves Brayden Willis, Luke Farrell and George Kittle to share the work. “We’ll find a way, but Juice is a significant loss, to say the least,” Lynch said.
49ers GM Opens Up on Injury Scare Ahead of Seahawks Game