A 3-0 record usually makes for a pretty happy locker room. But after the San Francisco 49ers survived another close game, fullback Kyle Juszczyk admitted the mood inside the team was not quite what the record might suggest.
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“It was kind of a weird feeling today,” Juszczyk said on the Wife’d Up, Mic’d Up podcast. “Like, guys are getting hurt, but we were still really successful. It was like, I don’t know. Like, even in the locker room, the vibes just weren’t that great.”
The 49ers had plenty to celebrate after beating the Arizona Cardinals to remain unbeaten. Deebo Samuel gave them an early spark with an 80-yard touchdown on San Francisco’s third play, but the game eventually became much tighter than the fast start suggested.
Juszczyk acknowledged that reality while reflecting on the win.
“It got a little scary there. They made it close, but we jumped off to a hot start.”
The fullback also admitted that there is a strange feeling when a team keeps winning while watching teammates go down with injuries. For the 49ers, that has been a recurring theme early in the season.
The unusual mood around the team also comes as Juszczyk has dealt with an entirely different kind of attention. The veteran fullback was fined $14,926 by the NFL for a touchdown celebration in which he appeared to mimic chugging a beer.
Juszczyk has long used the celebration as a reference to his “Juice” nickname. He even pushed back on the league’s interpretation of the gesture, saying, “I don’t even drink beer!”
The fine quickly became a talking point beyond San Francisco. Former Eagles center Jason Kelce questioned the league’s decision on his podcast, pointing to the NFL’s extensive relationship with beer brands and advertising.
“The NFL has beer labeled out off of every single thing in the stadiums. It’s on every commercial break,” Jason said. “It feels just very weird that, all of a sudden, they’re cracking down on this one specific thing.”
Juszczyk was not the only player fined for a similar celebration. Indianapolis Colts guard Matt Goncalves received an $8,847 fine for imitating a beer chug, while Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was fined $13,611 for a similar gesture.
For Juszczyk, though, the fine remains under appeal. But the bigger concern for the 49ers is keeping their roster healthy as they try to extend their unbeaten start.
San Francisco will now turn its attention to the Denver Broncos on October 5, with another test waiting for a team that has already learned that a perfect record does not always tell the full story of what is happening inside the locker room.