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San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been fined $14,926 by the NFL for a celebration the league deemed offensive, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The penalty stemmed from Juszczyk's actions during the third quarter of the 49ers' victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, where he pretended to drink from a container after making a catch.
The NFL's letter stated that Juszczyk's imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste. The league emphasized that players are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the game and aligns with NFL standards of sportsmanship.
Juszczyk, whose nickname is 'Juice,' has performed a version of this celebration throughout his tenure with the 49ers, responding to fans chanting his nickname after catches or other significant plays. He expressed confusion and surprise at the fine, stating, 'I don't know how else to say it. I wasn't drinking beer in my celebration. I think you guys all know my nickname is Juice. I have Juice on my pads. The stadium yells Juice when I catch the ball. When I celebrate, I celebrate by drinking juice, and it's been that way for years. So I was surprised as anybody when I got a fine this week.'
The fine was first reported by ESPN. Juszczyk mentioned that he initially thought head coach Kyle Shanahan was joking when informed about the penalty and is hopeful it will be rescinded following his appeal next week.
The NFL has pledged to crack down on celebrations this season, and Juszczyk is not the only player to face fines this week. He noted that about six other players were also fined, including Cincinnati Bengals receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase said the two were penalized for their new 'people's elbow' celebration, which involves grabbing his right elbow with his left hand and flopping the right arm forward. Chase insisted that the move is not the off-color humor others have made it out to be on social media and that they are simply creating a new way to signal a first down.
Juszczyk said he doesn't recall what players were told about the crackdown during the preseason but never imagined it would apply to his longtime celebration.
Teammates are amused by the situation, with tight end George Kittle joking that Juszczyk's new nickname will be 'Beer' instead of 'Juice.' Juszczyk himself had fun with it, placing a container on his locker shelf wrapped in white paper with 'NOT BEER' written on it before speaking to the media. He also displayed a picture of a juice box with his uniform number 44.
'That's the other side of it, is I don't even drink beer,' Juszczyk said. 'I maybe drink like five times a year in the offseason. It's usually with George because he peer pressures me.'
Juszczyk has been the 49ers' nominee for the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship for the past six seasons. His only previous fines were for illegal use of the helmet and low blocks. He was fined $20,033 for illegal use of the helmet in Week 1 and will also appeal that next week.
Juszczyk is in his 14th NFL season and 10th with San Francisco. He has made the Pro Bowl 10 times and was an All-Pro in 2023 and 2025.
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi and AP freelancer Jay Morrison contributed to this report.
Originally reported by abc7ny.