49ers star Kyle Juszczyk trolls NFLs drinking celebration fine with locker room prop

Kyle Juszczyk just couldn’t believe it.When the San Francisco 49ers fullback was approached by Kyle Shanahan at practice this week and informed he had been fined by the NFL for pretending to drink a beverage during the Niners’ game against the Dolphins this past Sunday, he figured it was all a joke.“I thought maybe he was just messing with me,” Juszczyk said on Thursday.The 10-time Pro Bowler, however, quickly found out it was real.The league did indeed dock Juszczyk $14,926 for “engaging in an offensive demonstration” by imitating “chugging a beer” in the team’s contest vs.Miami, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and Juszczyk said he was floored when the league’s notice officially hit his inbox this week.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story “I don’t know how else to say it, I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration,” the 35-year-old 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.It’s been that way for years.“So, I was surprised as anybody when I got fined this past week.”The announcement of the fine initially sent shockwaves through the Niners locker room, before it ruffled feathers across the entire NFL.First, it was Juszczyk and his wife who publicly pushed back against the league’s penalty by going on social media to show the drinking celebration had been a part of the 49ers player’s repertoire for years.Then it was Juszczyk’s good friend and teammate George Kittle who went to bat for the fullback on X.“Can confirm he doesn’t really drink beer but is a good guy,” Kittle wrote.Hours later, Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase — who was also fined for demonstra...