“That’s what living is. It’s taking a chance and putting yourself out there,” Kyle Juszczyk once mused, probably while bench-pressing a Prius or crafting a kale smoothie in his hydroponic garden. But on March 15, 2025, the NFL’s last true fullback—a nine-time Pro Bowler, Harvard grad, and human Swiss Army knife—got a reality check sharper than a sideline reporter’s stilettos. The 49ers dropped the axe on “Juice,” freeing up $2.92M in cap space and ending an era where fullbacks were more than just nostalgia acts. Meanwhile, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, the Tasmanian Devil of San Francisco’s defense, bolted for Denver’s $35M payday. Cue the violins, folks—it’s a breakup story only the NFL could script.
“I understand the business side of things,” Juszczyk shrugged when rumors swirled. Translation: ‘I carried this team’s personality and its playbook, and y’all still cut me?!’ His release isn’t just a roster move—it’s a cultural tremor. Juice wasn’t just a fullback; he was Kyle Shanahan’s “offensive weapon,”
If losing Juice felt like a slow fade, losing Greenlaw was a mic drop. The linebacker who once “missed getting [his] anger and frustration out” via legally sanctioned violence packed his rage (and 455 career tackles) for Denver’s mountains. Let’s be clear: Greenlaw wasn’t just a player; he was a vibe.
But the NFL’s a “what have you done lately?” league, and Greenlaw’s 2024 was derailed by an Achilles tear. Still, Shanahan fought to keep him, growling, “We’re not into losing really good players who are also good people.” Too bad Denver’s $35M offer was the equivalent of shouting “FOMO” into a megaphone. Greenlaw’s exit isn’t just a loss—it’s a fracture in the 49ers’ defensive DNA.
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