NFL Fines Kyle Juszczyk Over Controversial Celebration

The NFL found itself in an unexpected debate with San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk on Thursday. The league issued a fine of $14,926 to Juszczyk for his touchdown celebration, which they claimed resembled “chugging a beer,” something they deemed inappropriate. However, Juszczyk has his own explanation for the gesture.

“Honestly, I think there’s already been so much said about this,” Juszczyk told reporters while standing by his locker. “I mean, I wasn’t drinking beer during my celebration at all.” He further clarified, “You all know my nickname is ‘Juice.’ I have ‘juice’ written on my pads, and the crowd shouts ‘Juice’ when I catch the ball.”

“When I celebrate, it’s about drinking juice—it’s been my thing for years,” he added. Yet, the league’s interpretation indicated otherwise. They stated in the fine notification that his celebration was an “offensive demonstration” that could, in their view, come off as poor taste.

The specific act that got him penalized involved Juszczyk raising his hand to his mouth as if drinking. Clearly, the NFL jumped to the conclusion that he was imitating drinking beer.

“But honestly, I don’t even drink beer,” Juszczyk explained. “Maybe five times a year, usually in the offseason, and always with [teammate] George [Kittle] because he kind of pressures me into it.” Kittle, in fact, found the whole situation amusing, possibly due to its absurdity.

Juszczyk mentioned that Kittle has been calling him by that nickname for years but joked that he might have to change it now. “I think we’ll start a petition—Juice’s new nickname is going to be Beer,” Kittle quipped.

Quarterback Brock Purdy was equally baffled by the fine, especially since Juszczyk has been doing his signature celebration for years without being penalized. “I’ve seen Juice perform that celebration for like five years now. It confuses me that he’s facing punishment for it,” Purdy stated. He pointed out that coach Kyle Shanahan has warned players about dangerous celebrations but had never mentioned Juszczyk’s celebration.

“Juice, that’s his name. He drinks juice from a juice box after scoring,” Purdy said. “It’s honestly kind of unfair for him.” To make matters even more frustrating for Juszczyk, he learned about the fine not from the league, but rather from Shanahan over breakfast, leading him to initially think it was a prank. “When Kyle told me, I figured maybe he was just joking. But nope, it’s real,” Juszczyk recalled.

While the NFL has its rules regarding unsportsmanlike celebrations, quickly assuming that the intent behind this celebration was to imitate drinking beer seems like a stretch—especially given the league’s extensive beer sponsorships.

Juszczyk confirmed he is appealing the fine, with a hearing set for Tuesday via Zoom.