Why aren't more teams trying to clone 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk? He explains why they can't
HENDERSON, Nev. – It’s unclear if Kyle Juszczyk could fill in to kick field goals. Otherwise?
The San Francisco 49ers’ perennial Pro Bowler can make toe-tapping catches along the sideline like a No. 1 receiver. He can block defensive ends as effectively as teammate and All-Pro tight end George Kittle. He’ll even take occasional handoffs to get that tough yard or two for a first down. In other words, Juszczyk is the modern-day version of the NFL fullback – scarce as they are.
“They are cool,” he said in the days leading up to Super Bowl 58 against the Kansas City Chiefs while explaining why more teams don’t stock their own version of “JuiceCheck44” (his social media handle and guidance for pronouncing his name).
“There’s just not a lot of players with that skill set anymore, and there’s a number of reasons for that. There’s not really many fullbacks in college football anymore, so it’s really hard for NFL teams to really evaluate a fullback in college that they can plug into their offense.
"In order to do so, you’re usually converting somebody – they’re a previous tight end, they’re a running back. Even sometimes you see defensive linemen, linebackers – which I hate, I think it’s a terrible conversion.”
Juszczyk’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens, switched him from tight end, which he played at Harvard. But at 6-2, he said he was too short to remain there in the NFL. But after playing four offensive snaps as a rookie, he was Baltimore’s starting fullback by his second season.
And the Ravens reinvested in the position after Juszczyk signed with San Francisco in 2017, retrofitting 6-3, 305-pound Patrick Ricard, formerly a defensive lineman but now a four-time Pro Bowler at fullback. But even Ricard’s success has occurred thanks to a rare level of patience.
“(Y)ou also need somebody that’s gonna commit to that, someone that’s gonna give them a year or two to try and learn the position. But nobody has time for that anymore, everybody wants results quickly,” said Juszczyk, a Pro Bowler eight times since entering the NFL in 2013.
“So it’s really hard to even give a player an opportunity to learn the position and to grow with it, because there’s really just not time for it. So, I don’t know where it’s gonna go from here. I’m hopeful that things change, but I’m not sure how they’re going to.”
But why not?
Juszczyk – and he acknowledges his wife, Kristin, who has designed custom coats for Taylor Swift, among others, has become their household's biggest Super Bowl story – plays about half the snaps for San Francisco’s second-ranked offense, his diverse skill set a key component for the unit’s success. He had 36 yards from scrimmage in the NFC championship game, aside from myriad other assignments. He caught three passes for 39 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, in the Niners’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs four years ago.
“Things are so spread out, that people have gone away from the traditional fullback,” said Kansas City’s Andy Reid, who opted not to carry a fullback in 2023 for the first time in his 25-season head coaching career and used a tight end in that role instead.
“Although (the 49ers) do a great job with it … so they’re doing something right with (Juszczyk), and he’s a heckuva player.
“His flexibility within the offense makes it a valuable position for them.”
Juszczyk feels his ability to operate out of so many formations offers an advantage compared to shoehorning a secondary tight end into the role.
“I think the fullback position is so valuable because you can attack anywhere on the defense from the I-formation,” said Juszczyk.
“I do feel like that’s an advantage (as opposed) to teams that don’t utilize a fullback.”
Still, Juszczyk freely admits he’s nothing like the job’s former paradigm, a guy who blew holes into the line or led sweeps for the halfback who ran to daylight, glory and often massive paydays.
“I’ve never shied away from the fact that my favorite thing to do is to catch the football, and that’s been from day one. My motivation for blocking has always been that’s gonna get me on the field for more opportunities to touch the ball, and that’s been since I was literally in high school,” said Juszczyk, who’s definitely a danger to damage the Chiefs, who are more likely to focus on Kittle or running back Christian McCaffrey or wideout Deebo Samuel.
“I take a lot of pride in the fact that I play fullback, and I really try to make it my own.”
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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kyle Juszczyk is 49ers' secret ingredient. NFL teams can't copy him.
