Veteran NFL offensive lineman Jon Feliciano, a starter on the 49ers’ Super Bowl team a year ago, announced on social media Thursday morning that he is leaving the game.
Feliciano, 33, appeared in 113 games with 61 starts over nine seasons with the then-Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants and 49ers. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
After starting seven regular-season games and all three postseason games with the 49ers during the 2023 season, Feliciano was re-signed to a one-year contract.
However, a knee condition sidelined him early in training camp and he didn’t play a snap the entire season.
“After months of weighing my options, I realized I had to leave the game,” Feliciano wrote. “The fire is still there, but I know I can’t last a full season and can’t bring myself to let people down.”
🫡🫡 pic.twitter.com/QO1Q8ZmIzD
— Jonathan Feliciano (@MongoFeliciano) February 20, 2025
Feliciano said his knee would not allow him to play for an entire season. But he asked the 49ers and Bills to keep him in mind if an interior offensive lineman is needed for a December playoff run.
Feliciano began the 2023 season as a backup but moved into the 49ers’ starting lineup after starting right guard Spencer Burford struggled. Feliciano called that 49ers roster “the most stacked team I’ve ever been a part of.”
Feliciano started and played 31 of the 49ers’ 75 offensive plays in the Super Bowl before leaving with a pectoral injury.
Burford entered the game and missed an assignment on a crucial third-down play in overtime that left Kansas City star defensive tackle Chris Jones unblocked. The play led to an incompletion, and the 49ers settled for a field goal. Kansas City won the game, 25-22, with a touchdown.
The 49ers re-signed Feliciano to a one-year, $2.75 million contract last offseason.
“What followed was the worst year of my career,” Feliciano wrote. “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.”
Feliciano entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick of the Raiders in the 2015 draft out of the University of Miami.
