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NFL Rescinds Fine Against 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk
Developing
In Short: The NFL has rescinded a $14,926 fine against San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for pretending to chug beer on the field.
The NFL has rescinded the $14,926 fine it imposed on Kyle Juszczyk last month for 'engaging in offensive demonstrations' by imitating a beer chug during his team's victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 of the current season, a league spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
Juszczyk, who is in his 14th year of pro football, argued that he was actually pretending to drink juice, a celebration he has performed for years.
"Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste," the NFL wrote in its fine letter ESPN first reported.
"I don’t know how else to say it: I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration," Juszczyk said.
"I think you guys all know my nickname is ‘Juice.’ I have juice on my pads. The stadium yells ‘Juice’ when I catch the ball. When I celebrate, I celebrate by drinking juice, and it’s been the way for years. So I was surprised as anybody when I got a fine this week," he added.
Juszczyk said when he was told about the fine by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan he thought Shanahan “was just messing with me.”
What this adds
The league initially thought that Juszczyk imitated a beer chug during his touchdown celebration, which is apparently a no-no, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the NFL’s rules against unsportsmanlike conduct.
Background
The league initially thought that Juszczyk imitated a beer chug during his touchdown celebration, which is apparently a no-no, violating Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1.
What's still developing
- When the NFL hit Juszczyk with the fine on Sept. 23, the league said the 10-time Pro Bowl fullback violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the league’s rules against unsportsmanlike conduct.
- He died two years ago at age 76 from prostate cancer.
- NBC News has reached out to Juszczyk and the 49ers for comment on the NFL’s rescinding of the fine.
- Star San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk appears to have some serious juice with the NFL.
- Later, in a meeting with reporters at the team’s practice facility in Santa Clara, the 35-year-old Harvard graduate sounded more amused than annoyed by the development.