SANTA CLARA, California. – San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch teased his hair on Saturday night, but it didn’t become official until Sunday: the Niners keep Kyle Juszczyk on the sidelines.
Aiming to re-sign Juszczyk before the first negotiation window opens on Monday, the Niners and their versatile defender agreed to a five-year, $ 27 million deal that includes $ 10 million guaranteed, he said. a source to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday evening.
Joe Linta, Juszczyk’s agent, confirmed via Twitter that a five-year agreement had been reached.
The deal with Juszczyk comes less than 24 hours after Lynch sent a cryptic tweet Sunday night saying, “I’m thirsty. Niners fans, do you want ‘Juice?’ Lynch’s tweet was a clear reference to Juszczyk, who goes by the nickname “Juice” and has become a fan favorite in the Bay Area and the Niners’ locker room.
“He’s, in my opinion, one of the two,” George Kittle said at the end of the season. “I don’t know anyone doing things on the football field. I also think it’s incredibly underrated. But the people who watch football, the people who understand football, have the importance of the Juice.”
Juszczyk also confirmed the five-year deal, thanking the organization on social media on Sunday night.
San Francisco has more than 20 players who will become unrestricted free agents and has prioritized about half a dozen of them for the new league year. Keeping Juszczyk allows the 49ers to continue working to reach agreements with their other top priorities, including left-back Trent Williams and cornerbacks K’Waun Williams and Jason Verrett.
The 49ers initially signed Juszczyk for a four-year, $ 21 million deal in 2017, a contract that easily surpassed any previous deal for a winger. In four seasons since then, Juszczyk’s 102 receptions for 1,080 yards and seven touchdowns surpass the 43 catches, 399 yards and four scores of the next closest defender in each of these categories.
Juszczyk’s versatility has become a focal point of Shanahan’s offense, which emphasizes making things look similar in terms of personnel and lineup, but adding wrinkles that throw the defense. Juszczyk had captured this by aligning himself with the slot (9.3% of his adjustments), the external receiver (7.2%), the in-line closure (11.5%), and the back field (72%).
Coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense has deployed one winger more than any team in the league since acquiring Juszczyk and has been much more successful with him on the field.
With two running backs on the field, the 49ers have averaged 5.99 yards per game (second in the NFL), 4.49 yards per run (fifth) and 8.65 yards per pass (third). With one or no running back on the field, these numbers drop to 5.45 (twentieth), 4.26 (23rd) and 6.48 (19th).