San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk will not have to pay the $14,926 fine initially assessed for his Week 2 touchdown celebration against the Miami Dolphins.
The NFL rescinded the discipline after determining that Juszczyk was miming the drinking of a juice box rather than chugging a beer. The original fine had cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, with the league characterizing the gesture as an imitation of drinking beer.
Fine withdrawn after Juice explanation
Juszczyk’s celebration came with just under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter of San Francisco’s Week 2 win over Miami. Known as “Juice,” the veteran fullback said the gesture was consistent with a long-running celebration tied to his nickname.
- Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers fullback — Fine rescinded; no injury status reported.
The league said its decision changed because the celebration involved a juice box, not alcohol. Juszczyk also argued that a punishment over an alleged beer-drinking gesture was inconsistent with the NFL’s many Bud Light sponsorship associations.
After learning he had been fined, Juszczyk publicly disputed the ruling. During a media availability on Sept. 24, he placed a container marked “Not Beer” alongside a thigh pad carrying a juice-box image at his locker.
“I don’t know another way to explain it,” Juszczyk said. “I wasn’t drinking beer during my celebration. Everybody knows my nickname is Juice. My pads say ‘Juice,’ the stadium chants ‘Juice’ when I make a catch, and I’ve celebrated by drinking juice for years. I was shocked when I received the fine.”
Juszczyk said he initially believed head coach Kyle Shanahan was joking when Shanahan told him about the penalty.
The week ahead
No upcoming 49ers practice schedule, opponent or kickoff information was included with the report.
