On Friday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked if any players had informed him of plans to make the 2024 season their last.
"No, I haven't heard that," Shanahan replied.
One player who has no intention of stepping away is fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The nine-time Pro Bowler, who earned his latest selection just last week, hopes to continue his career with the 49ers—the team he's called home since Shanahan's arrival in 2017.
"My goal is to wear the red and gold my entire career," Juszczyk told ESPN's Nick Wagoner.
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Juszczyk is under contract through the 2025 season. The 49ers have an option to opt out of the final year of his deal if salary-cap constraints force some difficult decisions. The need to navigate the salary cap while preparing for a significant investment in quarterback Brock Purdy could make the offseason challenging.
"There hasn't been any discussion yet, but I am aware of the kind of situation that we have," Juszczyk admitted. "There's a lot up in the air and who's going to be here, who's not, some contracts that need to be figured out. So, I'm aware of that. I just hope it doesn't affect me."
Juszczyk remains a favorite of Shanahan's, who values having a fullback in his offensive scheme. The 49ers restructured Juszczyk's contract last offseason to create cap space, which required the veteran to take a pay cut—a decision he later described as emotionally challenging.
"Honestly, it hurt," Juszczyk shared in July 2024. "When [GM] John [Lynch] came to me and asked, I wasn't necessarily expecting it, and I think it's natural for anybody that it kind of hurts your ego. It hurts your heart a little bit. I do understand that it's a business, but I do feel like I'm as valuable as what I was expected to get paid."
Despite the adjustment, Juszczyk remains the NFL's highest-paid fullback—something he takes pride in.
However, if analytics site Pro Football Focus is to be believed, his on-field performance has shown signs of decline in recent seasons. Juszczyk earned a 56.0 offensive grade in 2023 and had a 57.8 offensive grade in 2024 heading into Sunday's game.
Much of this drop stems from lower run-blocking grades, though his pass-blocking performance has remained steady, earning a 72.1 grade in 2024 and a 74.8 grade in 2023.
With Juszczyk set to count $6.5 million against the 2025 salary cap, questions about his future persist. Some speculate that Sunday's game may have been his last in a 49ers uniform.
"I really, really hope not," Juszczyk told Wagoner. "We're going to find out, but I know I'm not done. I'm definitely not done playing. I've seen zero regression. I think especially, I mean, you can turn on the last two games and please show me where I've regressed, so I have no plans of stopping."
While Juszczyk is determined to remain with the 49ers, he isn't considering retirement if forced to play elsewhere.
"I want to win a ring," Juszczyk said. "I want to win a ring here. But again, if I'm forced to do it somewhere else, I've still got so much football left in me. I still love the game so much. I'm still playing at a high level, and I know there's teams out there that can use me."
