Cardinals Fined for Fights vs 49ers

NFL doesn’t fine Jennings for scuffles, ejection in 49ers finale

Wide receiver Jauan Jennings was ejected from the 49ers’ Week 18 game before he could reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark on the season.

Jennings was called for back-to-back penalties for unnecessary roughness which led to his disqualification midway through the first half of Sunday’s season finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

However, when it came time for the NFL to dole out fines, Jennings was found innocent of any wrongdoing.

Instead, the two Arizona Cardinals with whom Jennings tangled were fined for the altercations, the NFL announced on Saturday.

“I know Jauan blocks through the whistle on every single play,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said following the 49ers’ 47-24 loss to the Cardinals.

“I know you usually get ejected for throwing a punch. I didn’t see one, and he didn’t tell me that he threw a punch. So that is something we’re going to have to find out.”

The answer came from the NFL with fines for Arizona defensive backs Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting in the amounts of $5,083 and $11,817.

The league determined Thomas and Murphy-Bunting were the instigators in the plays in which the game officials called offsetting penalties against them and Jennings for unnecessary roughness.

Jennings and Murphy-Bunting were ejected from the game, referee Shawn Smith announced with 6:11 remaining in the first half.

At that point, Jennings had seven catches for 52 yards. He finished the season with 77 receptions for 975 yards.

 

NFL Fines 49ers Fullback Kyle Juszczyk $16K for Blocking with Helmet

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) dives for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) defends in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk (44) dives for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) defends in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

This is a bit of a surprise.

Today, the NFL fined San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk $16,619 for leading with his helmet while making a block against linebacker Mack Wilson during the first quarter of the 49ers’ 47-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The officials did not throw a flag on Juszczyk on the play, which means the league watched the film and fined Juszczyk retroactively.

This was the second time the NFL fined Juszczyk this season. The first time, he had to cough up $11,817 for making a low block against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Once again, officials didn’t penalize Juszczyk for this play. Someone in the league office is watching Juszczyk awfully closely.

Juszczyk recently was named a second-team All Pro. He finished this season with 226 yards from scrimmage, which is 35 yards fewer than his career average. He will turn 34 in April and his salary cap number will be nearly $6.5 million.

Last year, the 49ers made Juszczyk take a pay cut which reduced his cap number in 2024 to $3.6 million. It seems likely that the 49ers will make Juszczyk take another pay cut this offseason considering he’s entering the final season of his contract and he has no guaranteed money left on his deal. If he refuses to take the pay cut, they can release him and create almost $3 million in cap space.

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