Kyle Juszczyk hopes to return to the San Francisco 49ers next season. Like so many of his teammates, he is scheduled to become a free agent. The fullback knows the situation, though. The team is pressed up against a salary cap that is expected to fall in 2021. That means some tough decisions are to be made, and Juszczyk is already by far the highest-paid fullback in the league. He is also the best and a key component in the 49ers' rushing attack.
Juszczyk spoke with reporters on Monday via Zoom and was noticeably emotional while discussing his NFL future.
"To be honest with you, it's just kind of a sense of (being) unsure," Juszczyk said of his NFL future. "I'm not totally sure what's ahead for me. I don't want it to be a sense of finality. Honestly, it's just been a lot of emotions the past week, and even you just asking that, it's already got me choked up.
"Just a lot that will come into play here, and Kyle (Shanahan) and I continue to have discussions. He's made it very clear, Kyle, John (Lynch), and everybody, that they want me here, and I want to be here, so we're going to work towards that. But free agency is a tricky thing, and with the cap number being lowered so much, that's going to come into play. That's just kind of a wait-and-see, and let some pieces fall in place.
Juszczyk loves his fit with the 49ers, how Shanahan utilizes him, and that San Francisco heavily depends on its fullback. That could factor into any offseason decision.
"It is tough to imagine being in a different offense that would utilize me the way that I am here," Juszczyk said. "I think Kyle and (run-game coordinator) Mike McDaniel have just done such a great job of finding the best way to put me out there on the field and put me in situations to succeed. So, I owe them so much for just the opportunities that they've given me the past four years."