The Juice is back! In a move reminiscent of the iconic The Wolf of Wall Street scene where Leonardo DiCaprio yells, “I’m not leaving! The show goes on!”, Kyle Juszczyk is staying with the 49ers just days after being cut. The fullback may not have stood up in the locker room, pounded the table, and let everyone know that he is not going anywhere, but is back nonetheless. On Tuesday, his teammates and his wife had plunged into sadness when the news of San Francisco cutting ties with their longest-tenured player emerged. But on Saturday, they were rejoicing as the Niners made sure their Swiss Army knife was right back where he belonged.

Juszczyk may not have even cleared out his locker when the news filtered in that the 49ers have signed him back on a two-year, $8 million deal. If this all feels a little familiar, that’s because it is. Juszczyk and the Niners almost split last off-season, too, before he took a pay cut to stay. This year, after he was reportedly asked to do it for the second year running, it appeared that they were going their separate ways. His release was announced and he joined the likes of Deebo Samuel Sr., Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga, Charvarius Ward, Aaron Banks, and Javon Hargrave as players on their way out of San Francisco. But as it turns out, the Levi’s Stadium will be echoing with chants of “JUUUUICE!” for at least another year.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the news and Juszczyk confirmed it by posting a Wolf of Wall Street meme on X. This came as a delight for George Kittle, who was left devastated when the news of his departure broke earlier this week. Taking to his IG, Kittle posted a story of the two players together dressed in suits upon learning of his return. This was followed by another story where he shared a photo of him, Juszczyk, and Christian McCaffrey converged during a training session, with the caption, “Boys are back.” 

Kittle has been through an emotional wringer in the past few days after he posted a throwback picture of their very first day together at training camp, with the caption, “Day one juice,” complete with a broken heart and juice pack emojis after Juszczyk’s initial release.

Meanwhile, McCaffrey, who joined the Niners in 2022, was also excited to have Juszczyk back in the team. Taking to his IG story, he shared a picture of him and Juice with a simple “Back” caption to go along with the shaking hands emoji. A few days ago, McCaffrey had shared a story on his Instagram with an image of him side-hugging his teammate with the caption, “My Brother with a broken heart emoji,” when it appeared that Juszczyk was on his way out.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the teams believed to be in pursuit of the full-back following his release. However, it seems the 49ers had a change of heart and offered him a new deal to keep him with the franchise. According to ESPN, the Steelers were offering him more than what he took from the 49ers to return. The two-year $8 million deal, lowers his average annual salary from $5.4 million to $4 million. The deal also includes a $250,000 bonus if Juszczyk makes the Pro Bowl, something he has been doing on a regular basis.

His wife Kristin, also made an emotional Instagram post following the deal. She shared a video of her husband playing on the gridiron and celebrating moments of joy with his teammates and close ones, with Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times,” playing in the back. In the caption, she wrote,

“This past week has really made Kyle and I reflect on our past 8 years in the Bay. We grew up here. We turned friends into family here. We won championships here and we lost championships here. We feel so incredibly blessed to have called the bay home for the past 8 years. It’s truly been the best years of our lives. Kyle’s curtain isn’t closed just yet and we couldn’t be more happy and emotional to stay home!!! ❤️ We’re forever.”

Her post was reshared by George Kittle’s wife, Claire with the caption, “It’s not over!!!!!!”

At 33, Juszczyk might be on the back end of his career, but the Niners clearly believe he’s got more juice left. And if Shanahan still has a place for him in this offense, who’s arguing? Well, it appears, the Faithful is!

The Faithful is not buying this Kyle Juszczyk return

Juszczyk was one of the first players the coach and GM John Lynch signed when they took over in 2017. He’s been a cornerstone of this offense ever since—blocking, catching, running, doing whatever’s needed to make this thing hum. He’s been to the Pro Bowl every single season he’s been in San Francisco. That’s eight straight. In 2023, he finally got the All-Pro nod, earning first-team honors. Then in 2024? Second-team.

But not all of the Niners fans are happy. “Massive overpay wtf,” one fan wrote, summing up a common concern. Paying $8 million for a 33-year-old fullback when the NFL is shifting further away from the position? Questionable. And this wasn’t just about the money—it was the process.

The team released him first, only to bring him right back. “So then what’s the point of releasing him?” another fan asked. Fair question. Was this just a front-office bluff to shave a few million off his contract? If so, some fans don’t believe the trouble was worthwhile.

The man is aging like fine wine. And sure, fullbacks aren’t exactly headline material in today’s NFL, but Juszczyk isn’t just any fullback. He’s caught nearly 400 passes in his career, racked up over 2,600 receiving yards, and found the end zone 24 times. But the skeptics? Oh, they’re loud.

Questions continued around the need for a fullback in this day and age in the NFL. “There is no need for a fullback in today’s NFL,” a fan noted.

With so many departures, fans expected the front office to prioritize other areas. Instead, they re-signed a fullback? One fan wasn’t sure that re-signing Kyle was going to make a difference, writing, “All that to go 8-9 again.”

So, was this the right call? The jury’s out. Juszczyk stays in the Bay, but with a roster in transition, his return is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.