NFL fines 49ers’ Kyle Juszczyk nearly $15,000 for longtime ‘Chugging’ celebration
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has been fined $14,926 by the NFL for a touchdown celebration the veteran player insists was never about beer.
The fine stems from Juszczyk’s familiar celebration following a catch during San Francisco’s victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. With the 49ers leading, Juszczyk mimicked drinking from a container—a celebration he says represents his nickname, “Juice.”
The NFL, however, viewed the gesture differently. In its disciplinary notice, the league said Juszczyk’s “imitation of chugging a beer” constituted an “offensive demonstration” that could be considered inconsistent with NFL standards of sportsmanship.
Juszczyk, 35, immediately pushed back.
“I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration,” Juszczyk said Thursday. He explained that “Juice” has been part of his identity with the 49ers for years, including on his equipment, and that San Francisco fans routinely chant his nickname when he makes a play.
The veteran fullback even arrived at his locker-room media session with a container prominently marked “NOT BEER” and a juice-box image displayed alongside it.
Juszczyk also pointed to a social-media post from 2021 showing him performing essentially the same celebration. He said he has been doing variations of it for years without previously being fined.
The NFL’s increased scrutiny of player celebrations has affected other players this week as well. Indianapolis Colts guard Matt Goncalves was fined $8,847 for a similar beer-chugging gesture, while Cincinnati Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins also face discipline involving their new celebration.
Juszczyk said he was initially convinced 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was joking when Shanahan told him about the fine.
Now, Juszczyk plans to appeal it. His hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, when he is also expected to challenge a separate $20,033 fine from Week 1 for an illegal-use-of-the-helmet violation. Meanwhile, his teammates have found plenty of humor in the controversy. Tight end George Kittle joked that Juszczyk’s new nickname should be “Beer” instead of “Juice.”
Juszczyk says he rarely even drinks beer, estimating that he might have an alcoholic drink only about five times a year during the offseason. For a player who has been the 49ers’ nominee for the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship for six consecutive seasons, the unusual fine has turned one of his longtime celebrations into an unexpected NFL controversy.
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(Sources: ESPN, New York Post, AP News)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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