The San Francisco 49ers said goodbye to one of their longest-tenured players when they released Kyle Juszczyk earlier this week. Juszczyk spent eight seasons with the 49ers after signing with the team before the 2017 season, making the Pro Bowl in each year and the All-Pro team in each of the past two seasons.
Reactions from teammates already signal that Juszczyk will be missed, but the 33-year-old has no intention of retiring after his release. The question now is where he will play next, and it appears he’s meeting with one of the most obvious teams as he begins his free agency tour.
Former 49ers Fullback Kyle Juszczyk Meeting With Steelers
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Juszczyk is meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. While the Steelers did not use a fullback last season, Juszczyk would add a different dimension to Arthur Blank’s offense, which is experiencing an overhaul that includes the acquisition of DK Metcalf and the potential addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The fullback position is considered to be a dying breed, but has been making a return over the past few seasons. The Baltimore Ravens (Patrick Ricard), Buffalo Bills (Reggie Gilliam), and Miami Dolphins (Alec Ingold) were teams that used fullbacks regularly last season, and Juszczyk was among that group during his time in San Francisco.
The Steelers could also be looking to open up their running game, which has produced underwhelming results with Jaylen Warren and the recently departed Najee Harris the past two seasons.
But those are just the schematic reasons. The truth is that the aesthetic of the Steelers having a fullback makes this partnership an obvious one.
Dan Kreider and Derek Watt were the modern examples, but Steelers history is loaded with names such as Merril Hoge, John Henry Johnson, John Williams and Tim Lester. Pittsburgh also has a history that’s as tough as nails, with Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin leading from the sidelines.
Of course, they would want to go get the best fullback in the game, and they might hand Juszczyk a complementary neck roll if he winds up signing in Pittsburgh.