Why the 49ers Re-Signed Jon Feliciano
When the 49ers lost the Super Bowl, many analysts expected them to overhaul the right side of their offensive line, because it was awful against the Chiefs.
Instead, the 49ers re-signed right guard Jon Feliciano to a one-year deal and extended right tackle Colton McKivitz through 2025. Which means the 49ers are bringing back all 11 offensive starters from last year. Which means they’re changing nothing.
Of all the positions on offense, right guard seemed the most likely one the 49ers would address, because Feliciano was a free agent. They simply could have let him leave and signed somebody better, considering Feliciano is 32 and started only seven games last season before getting injured in the Super Bowl and not finishing the game.
The 49ers re-signed Feliciano not because he’s the best man for the job. They re-signed him because he knows their system and he’s cheap. If they really liked Feliciano, they would have given him a two- or a three-year deal, but they didn’t. He’s a mere stopgap, as is McKivitz.
The 49ers are not invested in the right side of their offensive line. They haven’t had quality players there since Kyle Shanahan became the head coach in 2017 because he doesn’t value those positions. He simply cycles through stop gaps and spends the team’s cap space everywhere else.
So Feliciano is perfect for him, because no one else wants him. The 49ers probably are the only team in the NFL that would start him and McKivitz side by side.
The 49ers have re-signed right guard Jon Feliciano to a one-year deal, according to The NFL Network. Which means the 49ers most likely will bring back all 11 starters from last year’s offense which went 3 for 12 on third down in the Super Bowl and scored just 22 points in five quarters of that humiliating loss to the Chiefs.
You’d think the 49ers would add at least one new starter to an offense that stalled out consistently against the top defenses in the league. Let’s not forget that Cleveland Baltimore shut down the 49ers as well. But so far this offseason, the 49ers have added zero players to their offense while they have revamped half their defense.
They released Arik Armstead even though doing so won’t free up cap space until June 2. They let Javon Kinlaw, Chase Young, Randy Gregory and Clelin Ferrell walk in free agency. They added four defensive linemen. They’re trying to get a linebacker to replace Dre Greenlaw while he recovers from a torn Achilles. They’re trying to get a free safety to replace Tashaun Gipson who’s a free agent. Plus Talanoa Hufanga might be available for a trade even though he was an All Pro in 2022.
Clearly, the 49ers hold their defense to a much higher standard than their offense. Because the defensive equivalent of Feliciano never would start on 49ers defensive line. He’s barely good enough, which isn’t nearly good enough for the 49ers defense.
When will the 49ers try to improve their offense?