Kyle Juszczyk’s $14,926 NFL Fine Takes A Funny Turn As Wife Kristin Defends 49ers Star’s 'Juice’ Celebration
Kyle Juszczyk's $14,926 fine has sparked an unusual back-and-forth between the 49ers fullback and the NFL. The league viewed his touchdown celebration as a beer-chugging gesture, while Juszczyk insists it represented his "Juice" nickname
Kyle Juszczyk's touchdown celebration has suddenly become one of the stranger NFL stories of Week 2. The San Francisco 49ers fullback was fined $14,926 after the league decided his familiar drinking gesture looked like he was chugging a beer. Juszczyk says that was never the point. His nickname is “Juice,” and the celebration has been part of his routine for years. Now his wife, Kristin Juszczyk, has joined the argument, turning the fine into an orange juice joke while defending her husband's explanation. Juszczyk has also appealed the penalty, keeping the unusual dispute alive beyond Sunday's 35-13 win over Miami.
Why did Kyle Juszczyk get fined $14,926 by the NFL?
The controversy started after Juszczyk caught a touchdown against the Dolphins and mimicked drinking from an imaginary cup. The NFL viewed the gesture differently, describing it as an imitation of chugging a beer and calling it an “offensive demonstration.” The league said the action could reasonably be viewed as being in poor taste.
Juszczyk has pushed back on that interpretation. Speaking to reporters, he made the meaning behind the celebration clear.
“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.”
That explanation matters because this was not a new routine created for the Dolphins game. Juszczyk has used versions of the celebration throughout his 14-year NFL career without previously receiving a fine for it. He even put a container marked “NOT BEER” at his locker after the penalty became public.
How did Kristin Juszczyk respond to the NFL fine?
Kristin did not offer a dry defense of her husband. She leaned into the obvious wordplay.
“His name is Juice. He's drinking Juice. He just has a broken finger, so he can't bend it… but he can still catch touchdowns,” Kristin wrote on Instagram. “The irony of this is hilarious bc if you know Kyle, he barely drinks alcohol. Leave my garden King alone!”
The couple then took the joke further on TikTok, filming themselves squeezing fresh oranges into a cup and calling it “A $14,926 glass of orange juice.”
There is a serious point underneath the humor. The NFL has fined other players for beverage-related celebrations this season, showing that the league is paying close attention to gestures it believes cross its celebration rules. Juszczyk's appeal will now determine whether his long-running “Juice” routine remains a costly joke or gets cleared.