49ers veteran offensive lineman announces his retirement

Kyle Posey is the Senior Producer at Niners Nation and has covered the 49ers since 2019. Kyle was an FCS wide receiver in college and has coached high school football for 8+ years. He’s written for several sites and appeared on numerous podcasts. His extensive football history, paired with an accounting background, helps Kyle take an analytical and statistical approach to breaking down and covering the Niners.

There were bound to be changes along the starting offensive line this offseason for the San Francisco 49ers, as well as who backs up who. Aaron Banks, Jaylon Moore, Ben Bartch, and Jon Feliciano are all unrestricted free agents. On Thursday morning, Feliciano announced his retirement:

Feliciano said in the tweet above, “After months of weighing my options, I realized I had to leave the game. The fire is still there, but I know I can’t last a full season and can’t bring myself to let people down. Being on a team and unable to help out your boys is rough. That being said, Buffalo or SF, I’ll be ready for a playoff run in December if you need me.”

While the 49ers haven’t been shy about signing players late in the season, continuity is critical along the offensive line. They’d likely rely on a player who has been in the building for the previous 6+ months and who is in playing shape, as opposed to a street-free agent when it’s time to figure out a replacement for a potentially injured starter.

Feliciano did not step foot on the field this past season. In 2023, he only played 36 snaps in the first eight weeks of the season before starting every game but one in the second half of the season. Feliciano then went on to start in the Divisional and NFC Championship before splitting time with Spencer Burford in the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, his time in the Bay Area will be known for publicly throwing teammate Spencer Burford under the bus after a costly Super Bowl mishap.