On Tuesday, it was announced that San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk received the most Pro Bowl fan votes among NFL fullbacks. Of course, the list of active fullbacks in the NFL is dwindling as the position becomes more and more obsolete among offenses. Still, 12 NFL teams still employ fullbacks within their offenses and, despite failing to meet fan expectations, many consider Juszczyk among the best at his position.
The Pro Bowl will take place on January 28, 2018, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida during the weekend before the Super Bowl. Fan voting began at NFL.com on November 14 and will run through December 14. During the final week of voting, fans will be able to cast their votes via Twitter by tweeting the first and last name of the player, or the player's official Twitter handle, along with the hashtag #ProBowlVote.
The one-win 49ers aren't likely to send many representatives to the annual event. However, standouts like veteran tackle Joe Staley and second-year defensive lineman DeForest Buckner could be options. Although, while Buckner has had an impressive season thus far, he doesn't have the flashy numbers that commonly attract fan votes.
As for Juszczyk, he joined the 49ers while being touted as an offensive weapon which might be used not only as a pass and run blocker but as a receiving threat as well. Through eight game appearances, Juszczyk has just 14 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. He has only been used to run the football six times this season and gained just 28 yards on those carries.
As a receiver, Juszczyk is on pace for 22 receptions and under 180 yards, which would be his lowest total since becoming a starter with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. He has already outperformed his rushing total from a season ago (28 yards versus 22). Although, the majority of his yards last year came during a single game – a Christmas Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While his rushing average is a respectable 4.7 yards per attempt, the sample size is small.
Juszczyk is in his fifth NFL season. He signed a four-year, $21 million contract with the 49ers on March 9, which is the largest contract ever for a fullback.