STATELINE, Nev. >> Kyle Juszczyk knows he soon will have an outlet for any frustrations, such as a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Friday’s opening round of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

Juszczyk and his 49ers teammates are two weeks away from putting on helmets and shoulder pads at training camp, for their first live contact since last season.

“It’s way easier than this,” Juszczyk said of his football duties as he walked off the 18th green. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s been a long offseason.”

How long was it?

For Juszcyzk, one stretch of it tormented him. He got released at the onset of free agency in March, visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, and ultimately agreed to return to the 49ers on a two-year contract.

“It was the worst three days of my life,” Juszczyk said, “but I genuinely am grateful for it now. It gave me so much perspective to kind of step back and see how good I had it, and then get the chance to come back to it. So few people have that opportunity.”

Juszczyk, a nine-time Pro Bowl fullback, joined the 49ers in 2017 and still considers himself the longest-tenured player on their current roster, his brief free agency be damned.

“We jokingly called it like a living funeral,” Juszczyk said. “I got all my goodbye texts — “How much we love and appreciated you” — but then I got to come back. So I got to feel that love from everybody. And I’m locked up for two years. I don’t have to deal with this next year and I’m thankful for it now that it’s over.”

Juszczyk came away with no points in Friday’s opening round (eight pars, six bogeys, four double bogeys). He tees off the back nine Saturday at 9:32 a.m. with 49ers cohort George Kittle and Stanford product Justin Reid of the New Orleans Saints.

Juszczyk tied for 64th in last year’s tournament debut, before the 49ers’ NFC title defense came to a crashing halt with a 6-11, last-place record.