There’s a container in San Francisco 49ers star fullback Kyle Juszczyk’s locker that now officially reads “Not Beer.” After his Week 2 touchdown celebration handed him a $14,926 fine – a celebration he has been doing for the better part of the last 12 years – the reaction from the football community has been quite hilarious. But if we’re talking about his teammates, star tight end George Kittle’s reaction to the fine takes the cake.

“Opening statement, I think we’re going to sign a petition to – Juice’s new nickname is Beer now,” Kittle told reporters in a locker room interview. “So that’s his new thing. Just letting you guys know. As a team, we voted on that today.”

Now, Kittle’s wide-eyed expression and mock-seriousness fooled no one. When the reporters caught up with Juszczyk, even he seemed a little exasperated as he offered an explanation.

“I don’t know how else to say it,” Juszczyk said. “I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration. 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. I don’t even drink beer. I maybe drink like five times a year in the offseason and it’s usually with George because he peer pressures me.”

In a fine letter explaining the violation – cited by NFL insider Adam Schefter – the NFL wrote: “Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste.” But as Schefter explained in a follow up post, Juszczyk has been celebrating this way for first downs and TDs “his entire NFL career in his own chugging way, an ode to his nickname ‘Juice.’” When Schefter reported this, he even got a text from the 35 y/o fullback saying “I don’t even drink beer!”

As for George Kittle, he wasn’t limited to just that locker room comment. Under Schefter’s post, he even dropped a telltale line: “Can confirm he doesn’t really drink beer but is a good guy.”

But the reactions and the pushback don’t stop here. Kyle Juszczyk’s wife, Kristin had already fired back with a sharp retort against the fine, and then followed up by making a TikTok with Kyle. The couple uploaded a clip of themselves squeezing orange juice, and in a hilarious twist, termed it “A $14,926 glass of orange juice.”

“His name is Juice. He’s drinking Juice,” Kristin wrote on her Instagram before the couple went to TIkTok. “He just has a broken finger, so he can’t bend it… but he can still catch touchdowns. The irony of this is hilarious bc if you know kyle, he barely drinks alcohol. Leave my garden King alone!”

Now, this isn’t the end of it. Juszczyk also told reporters from his locker room interview that he is appealing the fine, and is getting ready for a hearing on Tuesday. Regardless of whether that appeal goes through, even left tackle Trent Williams has shared his support, while calling out the league.

“It’s crazy, man,” Williams said. “Whoever did it, they must be new in the league office and haven’t watched [Juszczyk] in the last 12 years of his career. I think it’s pretty ridiculous.”

Even 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy spoke to reporters about this and expressed his dismay.

“Juice, that’s his name,” Purdy said. “He drinks a juice box after he makes big plays. We’re all confused, and it sucks, to be honest, for him.”

Now, it’s interesting to note that one the biggest sponsors for the league is also a beer brand – Bud Light. While Kyle didn’t imitate drinking a beer, the league seems to be pushing down on other similar celebrations.

The Indianapolis Colts’ guard Matt Goncalves was slapped with a $8,847 fine for pretending to pop the top off a can on a touchdown ball that was handed to him by tight end Tyler Warren in Week 2. Dallas Cowboys TE Jake Feguson was the latest to be on the receiving end of this crackdown, per Adam Schefter.

“Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson was fined #13,611 for what the NFL said was his ‘imitation of shotgunning a beer’ Sunday vs. Washington that ‘constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste.’”

Just like Kyle Juszczyk, Goncalves is appealing the fine. Perhaps Ferguson might also join the queue to make his case. But even as George Kittle, Kyle, and a whole host of others joke about these fines, the fact is that the league has seen a massive uptick in celebration-related fines. For now, Juszczyk waits for Tuesday, when he finds out if he can continue to give the fans a reason to scream ‘Juice,’ or end up finding a new touchdown celebration for himself.