Major plot twist: Kyle Juszczyk is back with the 49ers — with $7 million guaranteed

In a dramatic and shocking reversal, Kyle Juszczyk is back with the 49ers — and the team is suddenly contractually committed to the beloved fullback for two new years.

The 49ers had released Juszczyk, 33, on Monday — a ruthless day of attrition that also saw stars Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, among others, leave to other teams. Tight end Luke Farrell, a new 49ers’ signee to begin free agency, was meant to reprise as much of Juszczyk’s adaptable role as possible.

But as Friday night turned into Saturday morning, the 49ers suddenly had their cake and ate it, too: They now have both Farrell and Juszczyk.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported that Juszczyk re-signed on a two-year deal with up to $8 million. With $7 million of this new contract fully guaranteed, the 49ers have broadcast their intentions of keeping Juszczyk aboard for the next two seasons — through 2026. Juszczyk reportedly accepted less money from the 49ers than the Pittsburgh Steelers, who offered him a contract after a midweek visit.

From a salary-cap perspective, the 49ers will benefit from the entire series of Juszczyk maneuvers. The fullback had been scheduled to make $4.6 million in 2025 before the 49ers released him. He’s now locked in at $4 million per year — essentially equating to a $600,000 discount for 2025 — and with an extra season of team control (2026) that the 49ers previously did not have.

Juszczyk benefits from $7 million of fully-guaranteed money (for all intents and purposes, a two-year commitment); he previously didn’t have any. And the 49ers can now rest easy knowing that Juszczyk, a foundational locker room pillar, can be retained at an efficient price in 2026 without any more haggling. The team had asked Juszczyk to take a pay cut last offseason before this week’s contractual rollercoaster ride.

The release did not change the 49ers’ long-term salary-cap situation. The $3.6 million in dead money associated with cutting Juszczyk on Monday would’ve been split between 2025 and 2026 had he not been cut. The release simply made all of the $3.6 million hit in 2025. The re-signing then added a new, separate deal to the 49ers’ books. But since cap space all comes from the same large pool (unused room carries over year to year) and the 49ers have approximately $50 million of it this year, the reallocation of dead money that would’ve hit in 2026 anyway is irrelevant.

At this point, it’s unclear what transpired behind the scenes to move the 49ers off their original cost-cutting position, but coach Kyle Shanahan is presumably thrilled about a re-signing that can maximize the adaptability of the offense around quarterback Brock Purdy. Whereas Farrell adds 12 (one back, two tight ends) personnel potential, Juszczyk’s return will allow the 49ers to continue attacking with 21 (two backs, 1 tight end) whenever Shanahan sees fit. And yes, 22 personnel — featuring two backs and two tight ends — is now a more pronounced possibility than ever for Shanahan’s 49ers. Adaptability is king.

The first hint of this extraordinary turnaround came on Friday night, when 49ers tight end George Kittle — who’d shown his disappointment following Juszczyk’s release on Monday — took back to X and posted this:

Juszczyk, who signed with the team in March 2017, is now again the 49ers’ longest-tenured player. He had been temporarily replaced by Kittle, whom the 49ers drafted in April 2017.

Juszczyk’s wife, Kristin, went to Instagram on early Saturday morning to post an emotional video marking the return.

“This past week has really made Kyle and I reflect on our past eight years in the Bay,” Kristin wrote. “We grew up here. We turned friends into family here. We won championships here and we lost championships here. We feel so incredibly blessed to have called the Bay home for the past eight years. It’s truly been the best years of our lives. Kyle’s curtain isn’t closed just yet and we couldn’t be more happy and emotional to stay home!!!”