The San Francisco 49ers were responsible for one of the first major dominoes of the NFL offseason. The team traded receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders, clearing our more space in the salary cap.
That move made sense for a number of reasons. Samuel has shown some signs of decline, so dealing him away not only helped relieve the cap, but also creates more defined roles for the younger, proven (and cheaper) pass catchers.
But the financials remain the bigger focus here. San Francisco's biggest offseason objective has centered on getting quarterback Brock Purdy a new contract and that has not changed to this point.
This has contributed to the largest free agent spending deficit in NFL history. Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga all headline the losses sustained among the team's 22 starters.
So as the team bleeds through a litany of free agency decisions, the choice to release Kyle Juszczyk meant a self-inflicted yet necessary blow to the roster. When Juszcyzk met with the Pittsburgh Steelers week it appeared that loss was nearly cemented.
Instead, the fullback has opted to take less and return to the Niners on a two-year $8 million deal. In totality, does this change of course makeup for the losses sustained to this point?
Not much. After all, many of the Niners losses are coming on the defensive side. Despite his nine Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections, Juszczyk cannot account for those.
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But his return represents some stability for San Francisco's offense embarking on their own changes. Though he plays a very specific role, he plays it well and has proven himself as a versatile asset in Kyle Shanahan's system.
As the Niners gear up for the remainder of the roster-building period and heading into the NFL Draft, these gaps will need addressing if they hope to reestablish a contending status in the 2025 regular season.
But for now, Juszczyk's return provides some insurance on the other side of the ball.
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This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 12:49 PM.