STATELINE, Nev. – Kyle Juszczyk is aware of he quickly may have an outlet for any frustrations, equivalent to a three-putt bogey on the 18th gap at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Friday’s opening spherical of the American Century Championship celeb golf event.
Juszczyk and his 49ers teammates are two weeks away from placing on helmets and shoulder pads at coaching camp, for his or her first dwell contact since final season.
“It’s way easier than this,” Juszczyk stated of his soccer duties as he walked off the 18th inexperienced. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a long offseason.”
How lengthy was it?
For Juszcyzk, one stretch of it tormented him. He acquired launched on the onset of free company in March, visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, and finally agreed to return to the 49ers on a two-year contract.
“It was the worst three days of my life,” Juszczyk stated, “but I genuinely am grateful for it now. It gave me so much perspective to kind of step back and see how good I had it, and then get the chance to come back to it. So few people have that opportunity.”
Juszczyk, a nine-time Professional Bowl fullback, joined the 49ers in 2017 and nonetheless considers himself the longest-tenured participant on their present roster, his transient free company be damned.
“We jokingly called it like a living funeral,” Juszczyk stated. “I got all my goodbye texts – “How much we love and appreciated you” — however then I acquired to come back again. So I acquired to really feel that love from all people. And I’m locked up for 2 years. I don’t must cope with this subsequent 12 months and I’m grateful for it now that it’s over.”
Juszczyk got here away with no factors in Friday’s opening spherical (eight pars, six bogeys, 4 double bogeys). He tees off the again 9 Saturday at 9:32 a.m. with 49ers cohort George Kittle and Stanford product Justin Reid of the New Orleans Saints.
Juszczyk tied for sixty fourth in final 12 months’s event debut, earlier than the 49ers’ NFC title protection got here to a crashing halt with a 6-11, last-place file.
Though Juszczyk returns to the 49ers, over 20 gamers left in free company, together with eight starters.
“Hey, change is a good thing. We weren’t too good last year,” Juszczyk stated. “We have a good combination of change but you also have your centerpieces.”
That features a slew of group captains from previous years: George Kittle, Fred Warner, Nick Bosa, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and Trent Williams.
They’ll mix in with a slew of newcomers, particularly on protection the place the 49ers used their first 5 draft picks.
“It’s good to inject some new blood in there,” Juszczyk stated. “It is kind of a young man’s league, so you need some young guys to come in and make contributions. That’s a big role for us this year, is bringing those guys along quickly.”
That stated, blocking for a refreshed McCaffrey may very well be the important thing to the 49ers’ course.
“Christian is arguably the best player in the NFL. He was the offensive player of the year two years ago,” Juszczyk stated. “He changes everything, and he looks incredible. He looks so healthy, he looks so explosive. It changes everything.”
Altering uniforms wasn’t within the playing cards for Juszczyk, who stated he “genuinely enjoyed” his go to with the Steelers. “But at the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough to trump what I had in San Francisco,” Juszczyk stated. “I simply couldn’t pull the plug.
“I literally know everyone. I know the chefs, the custodians, the PR team, the community team. I know all the players. It’s just a familiarity,” Juszczyk added. “My home is there. We bought a house back in 2017, and that’s home. And to be in California, to be on what I think is a really good team, a team that I think has a really great opportunity this year. So there’s too many good things to leave.”
