It's 'next man up' again for the San Francisco 49ers after fullback Kyle Juszczyk injured his knee against the Denver Broncos.
Juszczyk avoided a serious injury, but is still expected to miss two-to-three weeks according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. This creates a unique problem for the 49ers because they don't have a direct replacement for the 10-time Pro Bowl fullback. We saw Sunday vs. Denver how San Francisco is likely to manage without their do-everything offensive weapon. They turned to tight end Brayden Willis.
Willis on Sunday played 11 snaps − the fourth-most he's ever played in his career. Context shows how unique Willis's day was from a snap count perspective and why Sunday's game portends more playing time for Willis with Juszczyk out.
Two of the games Willis has seen more than 11 snaps came in contests George Kittle didn't play in. That moved Willis up the TE pecking order and got him serious run in the final weeks of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The other game he played more than 11 snaps came in Week 2 this season when he played 13 of them in a 35-13 rout of the Miami Dolphins.
It's also worth noting there's nobody on the 49ers' practice squad who would make sense as a fullback replacement.
The 49ers injury situation at other positions probably precludes them from shifting their offensive philosophy in any kind of dramatic way. They don't have the healthy wide receivers to start doing more three and four WR sets, which will mean Willis getting some additional run in the Juszczyk role. San Francisco should be able to use his athleticism in ways that allow them to keep their entire playbook open.
In Sunday's game they used him as a lead blocker. They had him on the move the way they usually use Juszczyk. He's capable of lining up in line and he has enough pass catching chops to run some of the same routes Juszczyk does.
Willis may not be as effective at a new position as the 14-year veteran, but the 49ers are going to need him to be the best version of himself as the next man up at fullback.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Kyle Juszczyk injury: Who will replace 49ers fullback?
