San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk just got a $14,926 bill from the NFL for drinking a beer that never existed. During the 49ers’ 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on September 20, Juszczyk celebrated a touchdown with his signature move: pretending to chug a drink. It’s an ode to his nickname, “Juice.” He’s done it for years. This time, the league decided it was “in poor taste” and fined him for it. Juszczyk’s response was four words: “Can’t make this stuff up.”
George Kittle , Jason Kelce and JJ Watt all defend Kyle Juszczyk after his $14,926 beer fine
The fine letter, first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, said Juszczyk violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which is “engaging in offensive demonstrations.” The exact line from the league: “Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste.” Juszczyk has already filed an appeal. He’ll get a hearing with one of the NFL’s designated appeals officers: Derrick Brooks, Jordy Nelson, or James Thrash.Here’s the twist nobody at the league office seemed to clock: Juszczyk “doesn’t even drink beer.” as he claims. The celebration has always been a nod to his nickname “Juice,” not an actual drinking impression.Fellow 49ers legend Jason Kelce reposted the story and joked Juszczyk should “threaten to counter sue for defamation,” since there’s no way to prove he was “chugging alcohol” and not, well, juice.JJ Watt piled on too, pointing out the obvious: a guy nicknamed Juice pretending to chug something is probably just drinking juice. Teammate George Kittle added fuel by posting a photo of Juszczyk in an ice bath with an actual Bud Light in hand, captioned “he can’t be stopped.”
Not the only guy fined for the same “crime” this week
Juszczyk isn’t alone. Colts guard Matt Goncalves was fined $8,847 the same week for the identical celebration, pretending to pop and chug a beer after a Tyler Warren touchdown against the Chiefs.Two unrelated fines, same bizarre offense, same week. It’s giving “No Fun League” energy: the NFL has a long history of fining players for beer-themed celebrations; Marcus Peters, Stefon Diggs, and Eric Fisher have all paid the price for it before. Juszczyk, a 10-time Pro Bowler who’s been doing this celebration for years without so much as a warning, just became the latest name on that list.