49ers reap rewards of luring fullback Juszczyk from Ravens
SANTA CLARA » Back when he had a Baltimore bachelor pad, Kyle Juszczyk would spend his offseasons in the basement, handcrafting furniture out of Home Depot lumber runs.
He built his kitchen table. He made a nightstand. Then he packed them up in March 2017 for a crosscountry move to join the 49ers.
“Now I garden a lot,” Juszczyk said. “All kinds of peppers, bok choy, onions, carrots, eggplant.”
Juszczyk, albeit a pricey acquisition, has taken root as a 49ers mainstay, a rare success story when it comes to free agency.
The 49ers (10-1) are obviously glad he’s their trusty handyman heading into Sunday’s tilt against his original team, the Ravens (9-2).
“We wanted him pretty bad. I think everyone knows that by what we did to go out and get him,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I’d say he’s exceeded expectations, because you don’t know the guy totally (in free agency).”
Their instincts paid off, scoring themselves the NFL’s best fullback and paying him the commensurate rate (four years, $21 million).
“After being with him three years, we can tell now why we liked him so much on tape,” Shanahan added, “because he is very talented, but (also) just how automatic he is in all the stuff you ask him to do, just the angles of getting the backers.”
Juszczyk’s Harvard degree tells what a cerebral player he is. There is much more to what’s driving him toward his fourth straight Pro Bowl berth.
His eyes deceive defenses, like on the opening snap Oct. 7 against the Cleveland Browns, when Juszczyk started right before switching left and helping spring Matt Breida on an 83-yard touchdown run.
“He’s the best at it,” Shanahan said. “You can’t tell where his eyes are going, he doesn’t show anyone until the last second. He’s also fluid enough to be able to do that stuff.”
That fluidity and versatility translate into another receiving option for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Juszczyzk made three highlight reel-worthy receptions in the homeopening win over Pittsburgh. He added a couple more catches the next win over the Browns. But then a knee sprain sidelined him the next four games, and the 49ers had to convert backup tight end Ross Dwelley into a capable replacement.
“Juice does so much for this offense, the versatility,” Garoppolo said after Juszczyk’s injury. “He does things that most fullbacks can’t do. He’s catching passes out of the backfield, diving for catches while also cutting a D-End on the backside.
“It’s little things like that.”
Juszczyzk was back to his reliable self two games ago, catching all seven of Garoppolo’s targets for 63 yards and setting up touchdown after touchdown.
“Some of the catches he’s made in the pass game, even though he doesn’t get a lot of them, when he does, he’s been real efficient with it and made some big plays for us,” Shanahan said.
Hands of stone? That may be true of other 49ers receivers this season. Juszczyk’s hands craft furniture, grow vegetables and, to the 49ers, are as valuable as any Harvard-educated doctor’s.
“It’s just been in our family to always be like a handyman,” said Juszczyk, who has one brother in home remodeling and another who is a mechanical engineer.
Juszczyk’s newlywed wife, Kristin, is pretty handy herself, having launched an online clothing boutique, TheOriginShop.com. They’ve come a long way from Baltimore, where he arrived in 2013 as a fourth-round draft pick.
“There’s been more stability here, too,” Juszczyk said. “When I was there, I had a different offensive coordinator every single season. You’re always kind of starting over on offense.”
Those coordinators from 2013-16: Jim Caldwell, Gary Kubiak, Marc Trestman and Marty Mornhinweg, the latter three having also been 49ers assistants.
“Here, we’ve had basically the same staff,” Juszczyk added, “and it’s been good to have that continuity.”
• Wide receiver Dante Pettis (knee) and defensive end Dee Ford (quadriceps, hamstring) did not practice. Limited were tight end George Kittle (knee, ankle), left tackle Joe Staley (finger), running back Matt Breida (ankle) and wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders (ribs) and Deebo Samuel (shoulder).