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NFL reverses Kyle Juszczyk fine over 49ers touchdown celebration
Confirmed
In Short: 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.
The NFL rescinded the $14,926 fine it imposed on San Francisco 49ers tight end Kyle Juszczyk for what it initially thought was a distasteful celebration of chugging a beer.
Juszczyk, nicknamed 'Juice,' insisted he was miming drinking juice after his 6-yard touchdown catch in a 35-13 home victory against the Miami Dolphins on September 17.
Juszczyk said his celebration was an ode to his nickname, Juice, and that he had been doing this celebration for five years.
"Yeah I've seen Juice do his celebration for like five years," 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said at the time.
Juszczyk, 35, is in the middle of his 14th season with the 49ers, who took him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Juszczyk added that even if his celebration had involved drinking a beer, he didn't believe a fine would be appropriate.
"It's what I imagine a court hearing would be like," Juszczyk said after his appeal hearing.
Juszczyk's juice celebration and fine resulted in multiple brands reaching out to him for endorsement possibilities. One of those companies, OceanSpray, signed Juszczyk to a partnership in which it is giving away 14,926 bottles of juice as part of a promotion.
The NFL's reversal of the fine highlights the league's willingness to reconsider penalties based on further review.
Juszczyk's long-standing nickname and consistent celebration style played a significant role in the NFL's decision to rescind the fine.
What's confirmed
- Juszczyk said after the game that his celebration was an ode to his nickname, Juice.
- Juszczyk, 35, is in the middle of his 14th season with the 49ers, who took him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
- -- The NFL rescinded the $14,926 fine it imposed on the San Francisco 49ers ' Kyle Juszczyk for what it thought was a distasteful celebration of chugging a beer.
- "because his celebration was simulating drinking a juice box, not a beer.... Mr. Juszczyk finally stated that the fine is hypocritical with the amount of Bud Light sponsorships surrounding the NFL."
What's still developing
- A 10-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Juszczyk has been a key cog in helping the 49ers get off to a 4-0 start.
- "So, I'm a little confused with the punishment he's dealing with." The fine occurred after Juszczyk caught a touchdown pass that extended San Francisco's lead to 28-6 late in the third quarter.
- Kyle Juszczyk extends the @49ers ' lead MIAvsSF on FOX/FOX One Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dpt6NfGpWy Brock Purdy's TD pass to Kyle Juszczyk looked familiar 👀 @49ers @insidetheNFL Week 2 Mic'd Up on X pic.twitter.com/CN1xjLK5lw While rare, the NFL has rescinded fines before.
- In January of 2025, then-Texans running back Joe Mixon had his fine rescinded after he was initially docked $25,000 for comments he made following Houston's playoff loss to the Chiefs.
- The league, upon further review, determined that Mixon's comments did not warrant a fine.
- According to the NFL, Juszczyk violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 when he did an "imitation of chugging a beer" two separate times during the Niners' victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.
- When Juszczyk was informed of the fine by Kyle Shanahan, he said he thought his head coach "was just messing with me."
- "They read your fine and give you the letter of the law. They let you speak and basically, you explain what happened on the play, what your responsibility was, what you were thinking. And then your agent gets a chance to say what he or she wants to say. The NFLPA gets a chance to chime in and say what they need to say and that's it. And then you wait and hear your response."
- Juszczyk said he thought the NFL was "going to realize that they made a mistake."
- Juszczyk immediately pushed back against the fine on social media and then held a brief media session on Sept.
- He pointed out that he wears thigh pads with a juice box on them and that Niners fans chant "Juice" whenever he makes a big play.
- He has 309 career receptions for 2,932 yards and 21 touchdowns in 210 games (163 starts) with the Baltimore Ravens (2013-16) and 49ers.