Add The California Post on Google SANTA CLARA — Kyle Juszczyk arrived at his locker and began to carefully arrange a couple props as a backdrop. As cameras circled around the San Francisco 49ers fullback and sudden lightning rod, a teammate offered him some advice dripping in sarcasm:
“Remember, Juice, nothing to hurt the league,” he told him. “Protect the shield.”
In the eyes of the NFL, Juszczyk already did enough damage to the league’s preciously protected image with his celebration after catching a touchdown pass last Sunday.
The league sent shockwaves across social media when it fined Juszczyk $14,296, claiming that the act “constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,” according to a letter from the NFL obtained by ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Why’s that? The NFL described it as an “imitation of chugging a beer.”
“I don’t even drink beer,” Juszczyk said, exasperated, after practice Thursday.
“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. It’s been that way for years. So I was as surprised as anybody when I got a fine.”
Juszczyk appealed the fine — as well as the $20,033 hit he took for unnecessary use of the head in their Week 1 game — which will be litigated over Zoom in a hearing on Tuesday.
The celebration was nothing out of the ordinary for Juszczyk, who has broken out similar demonstrations in the past as a nod to his well-known nickname (a play on his last name, which is pronounced “YOOZ-check.”) Just like he has in the past, the fullback tipped his head back and raised his hand with his pinky outstretched, mimicking him drinking a glass of juice.
Or, maybe it was beer. Except that there’s only one scenario in which the famously health-conscious professional athlete puts alcohol in his system.
“I drink maybe five times a year, in the offseason,” Juszczyk said. “It’s usually with [tight end] George [Kittle] because he peer-pressures me.”
The double standard demonstrated by the league that promotes Bud Light as its official beer sponsor — and aired a beer advertisement in the commercial break following the score — wasn’t lost on social media. By the time Juszczyk had a chance to address the fine in the locker room, he had become the centerpiece of the most viral story of the day.
He and Kittle leaned into the absurdity of the situation from their personal accounts, too. Kittle edited a Bud Light into a photo of Juszczyk in the 49ers’ recovery hot tub. He tagged the NFL’s official account while writing, “This guy’s a menace.”
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Before Juszczyk turned to face the cameras, he took time to meticulously organize a couple items in his locker stall behind him. On one shelf was a water bottle wrapped in athletic tape, with a makeshift label written in Sharpie: “NOT BEER.” Below that, Juszczyk put one of his pads on display, showing a graphic design of a juice box and his number (44).
“It’s pretty funny how it has blown up,” Juszczyk said.
During practice, Kittle performed his own version of the celebration.
Head coach Kyle Shahahan even got in on the fun as the one who informed Juszczyk of the fine. At first, the fullback thought his head coach was pulling a prank on him.
“Because I’ve definitely been on the wrong side of fines recently,” he said. “So when Kyle told me that during practice, I thought he was maybe just messing with me. But it’s real.”
Juszczyk had no problem with his coach making light of the situation, but he didn’t appreciate that he hadn’t received any communication from the NFL beforehand.
Schefter shared the letter from the NFL shortly after 9 Thursday morning, but Juszczyk said he wasn’t informed until Shanahan told him at practice, which got underway around noon.
The fine he was issued last week Juszczyk said he learned of through social media.
“That’s the other thing that’s frustrating,” he said. “Both times I’ve been informed by somebody else before the league has told me. And that bothers me.”
Although Juszczyk’s wallet may feel a little lighter — at least in the interim — the situation did produce one thing for him to sip on: A new nickname, courtesy of Kittle.
“Juice’s new nickname is ‘Beer’ now,” the tight end said. “So, that’s his new thing. As a team, we voted on it.”
