Back in March, when the offseason embers had turned to flames before the draft, the Steelers were in the center of it all. From QB questions to explosive additions of DK Metcalf and Kenneth Gainwell, it looked like HC Mike Tomlin was betting big on offense for Arthur Smith to work with. There was one more addition to the offense that promised an explosive veteran bringing his exp points to the Steelers. But the move on 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk fell short at the starting line. Now, the veteran has shared what that brief experience in the Steel City was like for him.
After the 2024 season, Juszczyk was coming off his 9th straight Pro-Bowl nomination, having posted 19 receptions, 200 rushing yards and 3 TDs. (1 rushing and 2 receiving TDs). So, when the 49ers released Juszczyk, the shock was palpable. Even after taking a pay cut, Juszczyk had to go. For a few days, it seemed certain that Juszczyk would find a new home, till the Niners swooped back in and snatched him away again. As Mike Florio had reported at the time, “The 49ers made that move at a time when the Steelers were, we’re told, hot on his trail. The Raiders and the Lions also had interest, but it came down to Pittsburgh or San Francisco. In the end, the 49ers came through.” And now, Juszczyk has explained why the Niners “came through.”
In an exclusive interview with the New York Times, Kyle Juszczyk shed light on his short journey to the Steel City. As Juszczyk noted, “It was a different experience. 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. And I genuinely enjoyed my time with Arthur Smith and Mike Tomlin so much.” Even if the opportunity was exciting, Juszczyk’s Steelers saga remained an ‘almost-but,’ and the veteran admitted he simply couldn’t walk away, even though HC Kyle Shanahan decided to cut him.
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As reports suggested back then, the Steelers failed to meet Juszczyk’s expectations in terms of pay. And that was reportedly one of the major reasons he returned from the Steelers’ building without a deal. But it was also about history. As Juszczyk further explained, he “just couldn’t pull the plug” on the team he spent eight years in. As Juszczyk noted, “There was always an opportunity for me to come back. Kyle was very open about that. We didn’t know how it was going to work out…” Even if Juszczyk seemed to have given up at one point, he was still hoping the doors to the Niners remained open for him.
And it did work out. Just three days later, Kyle Juszczyk agreed to terms on a new deal with the Niners and came back. He now has a $8 million deal for two years. But for those few days he was a free agent, Juszczyk was living through a nightmare.
“Worst” days for free agent Kyle Juszczyk
If there is anything set in stone in this league, it’s that nothing truly is. That was the reality-check for Juszczyk as he searched for a new team in free agency. All the while, he kept hoping he would be able to return to the Niners. But when he was asked if that week of free agency was “emotional and hard,” Juszczyk didn’t hold back. He admitted struggle, but also saw it as an opportunity. “Extremely… extremely. It was the worst three days of my life, but I’m genuinely grateful for it now.”
For Juszczyk, the days before his return to San Francisco were full of ups and downs. But he noted taking a step back helped him understand what he had in the franchise. Juszczyk further added, “It gave me so much perspective to kind of step back and see how good I had it – and then get the chance to come back to it. So few people have that opportunity. We jokingly called it a living funeral. I got all my goodbye texts – ‘how much we loved you and appreciated you’ and all that type of stuff, but then I got to come back.”
The “living funeral” didn’t last long. Now, Kyle Juszczyk enters his 13th season not in retirement, but right where he belongs—back in Shanahan’s system, back in a familiar role. The new two-year (until ’26) deal gives him exactly what he wanted: clarity and continuity. No guessing, no distractions…just football. “I don’t have to deal with this next year and I’m thankful for it now that it’s over,” he said. For a veteran who’s seen it all, that peace of mind might be the most valuable thing of all.
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