NFL Fines 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk $14,926 Over Touchdown Celebration
The short version
- Kyle Juszczyk was fined $14,926 for what the NFL called a beer-chugging imitation after a touchdown against Miami
- Juszczyk says the gesture was a juice celebration tied to his nickname and has appealed, along with a $20,033 unnecessary roughness fine
- The NFL cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 in a message calling the demonstration offensive and in poor taste
- The Athletic suggested a taped hand injury prevented Juszczyk from extending his pinky, which previously made the gesture seem less beer-like
- Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was fined $13,611 for imitating shotgunning a beer and plans to appeal
The league says the veteran fullback mimed drinking a beer after a touchdown, but Juszczyk insists he was pantomiming juice and has filed an appeal.
The NFL has fined San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk $14,926 over a gesture he made after scoring a touchdown in Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins in Santa Clara, California. The league determined the motion amounted to mimicking the chugging of a beer.
Juszczyk disputes that interpretation and has appealed. His challenge is being combined with a separate $20,033 penalty he received for unnecessary roughness, meaning two fines are now working through the league's appeal process at the same time.
In issuing the punishment, the NFL cited Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of its bylaws. In a message to the player, the league said the imitation of chugging a beer counted as an offensive demonstration that could reasonably be seen as being in poor taste.
The fullback responded quickly, posting about the fine on X and then holding an unscheduled session with reporters on Thursday after a practice. In a locker room interview shared by ESPN NFL, he said he was not mimicking beer in his celebration and was startled when the fine arrived.
Juszczyk explained the gesture by pointing to his longtime nickname, Juice. He noted that the word appears on his pads, that the crowd shouts it when he makes a catch, and that drinking juice has been his way of celebrating for years. He also described himself as rarely drinking alcohol, saying he has beer no more than five times a year and only in the off-season.
Tight end George Kittle jumped into the interview to joke that Juszczyk's nickname may soon become beer. The nickname itself stems from pronunciation: Juszczyk, who is of Polish origin, says his surname as yoos-check, while announcers, players and fans commonly say juicecheck.
The drink-chugging celebration has been part of his repertoire throughout a 14-year NFL career, often appearing after first downs and touchdowns in response to stadium chants. Writers at The Athletic, Matt Barrows, Jeff Howe and James Boyd, raised a possible explanation: a hand injury recently forced Juszczyk to tape his pinky to the rest of his hand, preventing him from extending it. In past versions of the celebration, an extended pinky had given the motion a daintier, less beer-like appearance.
The discipline looks like part of a wider league effort against gestures deemed inappropriate. On Friday, the NFL announced a $13,611 fine for Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, penalized for imitating the shotgunning of a beer during a Week 2 touchdown against the Washington Commanders. Ferguson also intends to appeal.
Fans can next see Juszczyk's 49ers in Week 3 action at home. Arizona visits Levi's Stadium on Sunday, September 27, with kickoff at 4:05 PM EDT on FOX. The Dolphins, San Francisco's opponent in the fined celebration game, travel to Kansas City that same day for a 1:00 PM EDT kickoff on CBS.
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