By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk won his appeal over the fines issued by the NFL for what it deemed an “offensive” celebration when he imitated drinking a beverage, which the league said looked like he was chugging a beer.
Juszczyk was initially fined $29,852 for two infractions of the league’s sportsmanship rules after celebrating two catches in the third quarter of a Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins by doing the celebration he has done for years while the fans at Levi’s Stadium cheered “Juice!” for his nickname.
He appealed the fine and an appeals officer ruled in his favor, the league said Wednesday.
ESPN first reported that the fine had been rescinded on appeal.
The NFL has vowed to crack down on celebrations this season and initially ruled that the “imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste.”
The NFL has issued 21 fines in the first three weeks for illegal celebrations or obscene gestures totaling more than $300,000. It’s not clear how many others have been rescinded on appeal.
Juszczyk has been doing a version of that celebration throughout his career in San Francisco in response to 49ers fans chanting his nickname after catches or other big plays. He argued in the appeal that he was imitating drinking juice.
“I don’t know how else to say it. I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration,” Juszczyk said on Sept. 24. “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 that way for years. So I was surprised as anybody when I got a fine this week.”
Juszczyk has been the 49ers’ nominee for the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship for the past six seasons. The only fines he previously has had were for illegal use of the helmet and low blocks.
Juszczyk is in his 14th season in the NFL and 10th with San Francisco. He has made the Pro Bowl 10 times and was an All-Pro in 2023 and ’25.
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