Seattle Seahawks fullback Kyle Juszczyk? That is probably the last thing San Francisco 49ers fans want to see for the fan-favorite offensive weapon. Juszczyk is headed into free agency next month unless the 49ers can work out a deal before then.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is a fan of Juszczyk.
"He does everything. He is a great player," Carroll said before facing the 49ers during Week 17. "He is as meaningful a part of an offense as any player in the NFL. … He can play tight end. He can play out of the backfield. He can lead on all the blocking principles that they have. He can carry the football. He's good in the red zone. He's good in short yardage. He's just a great football player."
Juszczyk joined the Haberman and Middlekauff podcast this week and was asked about Carroll's praise while John Middlekauff hinted that the Seahawks might be a good fit for him. The fullback remembers visiting with Seattle before the 2013 draft.
"I had a really good time there, and I really enjoyed Pete as a coach, and just how relatable he is, for being an older guy," said Juszczyk. "He was very relatable to players, just kind of an easy guy to talk to, and I had a good experience with him.
"So, I have a ton of respect for Pete on that personal level. And then also, the Seahawks, we know, as Niners guys, that year in and year out, Seattle's going to put a legit squad out there. A ton of respect for him."
The 49ers probably want to avoid losing their Pro Bowl fullback. They certainly don't want to lose him to a division rival.
Juszczyk was also asked about several of his 49ers teammates and praised each of them. One of those players is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, a rookie this past season.
"I love Brandon," said Juszczyk. "I have a special relationship with Brandon because he has a locker right next to me. We pulled our hamstring(s) the same day in training camp, so we literally went through the same rehab. We were with each other every single day, so I feel like I got a good inside look at Brandon and just kind of how he ticks.
"This is a guy that just wants to be great so bad. He wants to put in that work. He wants to grind. He just wants to do it. It's not something that he's being forced to (do) or feels obligated. 'I was a first-round pick. I've got to live up to these expectations.' No, this was in him. No matter what, this guy was going to want to be successful."
Juszczyk adds that Aiyuk might benefit from a veteran presence in the wide receiver room, much like Deebo Samuel benefited from working with Emmanuel Sanders for part of the 2019 season.
"He just needs that mentor, that veteran receiver to show him exactly how it's done," said Juszczyk, "because if he sees it, he's going to emulate it and put his own style on it. He's just going to be great because he wants it so bad."
You can watch the entire interview with Juszczyk below.
