Jon Feliciano’s retirement this offseason didn’t exactly feel like a final goodbye. The veteran guard, sidelined all last year by a knee injury, left the door open for a potential comeback. Now, with the 49ers’ interior line suddenly looking thin, that door might be swinging wide once again.
The 49ers’ preseason opener against the Broncos showed just how thin things are up front. Brock Purdy holds onto the ball way too long sometimes, and the pocket has been collapsing quicker than we’d like. Trent Williams is still holding down the left tackle spot like a brick wall, but at 36, and with injury questions looming, that wall might not be as impenetrable as we hope. The real concern, however, is the middle of that line. Aaron Banks leaving for Green Bay left a serious hole at guard.
Well, the 49ers have got an option. The former 49ers guard, Jon Feliciano, hung up his cleats earlier this year, sure. But he left saying, “I’ll be ready for a playoff run in December if you need me.” So, when one of the Niners’ supporters recently commented on one of his posts, asking, “How can we unretire you? Looks like the OL could use some help .” His response? “Tell John to call me,” addressing the 49ers’ general manager, John Lynch.
Tell John to call me https://t.co/PzYOB9wPkK
— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) August 10, 2025
Feliciano’s no star, but he’s exactly the kind of guy you want in those trenches. When he was with the Niners in 2022, he started half the season and every playoff game, helping the team rack up the third-best rushing yards in the league and tie for the most rushing TDs.
Then came the 2024 season. He re-signed with the 49ers, sure. But a knee injury interrupted his 2024 campaign, and he had to miss the entire season. So, he hung up his cleats in February this year. “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,” he wrote in a statement.
Feliciano called the 2023 season during which he emerged as the 49ers’ starting right guard “the best season of my career,” in his statement. “What followed was the worst season of my career. My knee tapped out, and I ended up missing the whole season. I am thankful for my teammates who were there for me and tried to keep my spirits up when I was going through it,” he wrote.
However, Feliciano left the door open for a short-term return to the league. He wrote that if the 49ers or the Bills need him, they should call him. If Feliciano’s healthy and willing, the 49ers would be smart to bring him back. The veteran knows the offense, the culture, and what it takes to protect Brock Purdy, which could be the need of the hour.
49ers wheels fell off despite an early lead in the preseason opener
With Mac Jones under the center, the 49ers had a thrilling preseason start against the Broncos. Jones connected early with rookie wideout Jordan Watkins for a 50-yard touchdown. But everything went south from there as it became the Niners’ only TD under the lights. Courtesy? Struggling with pass protection. The quarterback got blitzed for a couple of sacks in rapid succession, and overall, the pass protection was shaky, disrupting rhythm early on.
And the logic tracks. Kyle Shanahan and Co. didn’t enter the preseason with their usual starters. Brock Purdy wasn’t there, and neither were Trent Williams and Fred Warner. However, the offense sputtered throughout the game. Running game? Well, they finished with just 96 rushing yards and 203 total yards (Broncos were 153 rush/368 total). It raises questions about their depth chart and underscores how the run game wasn’t helped by poor blocking or interior pressure.
Post-game graders were brutally honest. Outlets didn’t sugarcoat it. SI rated the offensive line a clear “F,” and called the backup tackle play (Spencer Burford) “absolutely atrocious.” Bottom line? The Niners entered the preseason with their backups, who struggled in pass protection, graded poorly in media reviews, and didn’t generate much offense. It was a preseason game, sure. But it still caught side-eyes, especially with Brock Purdy’s perspective.
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