Who is the 49ers' Unsung Hero on Offense?

The answer might surprise you.

An unsung hero is a vastly overlooked player who doesn't get the credit or recognition he deserves. With a team as deep and stacked with talent as the San Francisco 49ers, it is quite easy to have some players fall under this category.

Most of the spotlight gets pointed at George Kittle, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Raheem Mostert towards the end of the season. 

But what about the player who performs at a high-level who does not get the spotlight?

This article is a follow up to Monday's piece where I covered who the 49ers' unsung hero is on defense. There always is an unsung hero on both sides of the ball on every team.

So who is the 49ers' unsung hero on offense?

The Swiss Army knife himself, fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Now this may cause some of you to raise an eyebrow at Juszczyk being viewed as an unsung hero. Yes, he is considered to be one of the, if not the best fullback in the league.

However, that right there shows that he isn't being fully recognized for his ability and contributions. Juszczyk is more than a fullback. He doesn't just clear a path for the running backs. His role in the 49ers' offense is multi-dimensional, not one-dimensional. 

Aside from leading the way on the ground, he is capable of running routes out of the backfield. And he is more than capable of being an effective wide receiver from the slot. Plus, he can add to the backfield in a needed pass-protection situation. 

The question that should come to mind when thinking about Juszczyk isn't what can he do, but what CAN'T he do? That right there would be easier to answer because it is minimal.

Juszczyk gets credit for being a premier fullback, but the spotlight needs to expand on his true impact. It is that he is one of the most valuable players in the 49ers' offense. 2020 will just be another season where he proves that fact. 


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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.