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Jon Feliciano

49ers OL Jon Feliciano To Land On Season-Ending IR; Dre Greenlaw To Practice

November 25th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers expected Jon Feliciano back around the midseason point and had designated the veteran offensive lineman for return from IR earlier this month. No activation will take place, however.

Feliciano’s knee has not responded well upon a return to practice, Kyle Shanahan said, and ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner notes the O-lineman will miss the rest of the season. Feliciano will revert to season-ending IR, as the 49ers will not activate him after an IR-return window. Monday marked the 21-day mark since the window opened, forcing the 49ers to make a determination on Feliciano’s status.

[RELATED: Brock Purdy In Play To Suit Up In Week 13]

A starter in seven regular-season games and all three 49ers playoff contests, Feliciano suffered the knee injury during training camp. The 49ers waited to place him on IR until after setting their 53-man roster, so they will not lose one of their injury activations by shutting him down. The injury-plagued team — one that suited up without Nick Bosa, Trent Williams and Brock Purdy in Week 12 — still has four IR-return moves remaining. The Purdy-Bosa-Williams trio remains on the active roster, though Talanoa Hufanga is an IR-return candidate — if the All-Pro safety is healthy enough to come back.

Some good injury news for the 49ers did emerge Monday, however. As expected, the team is set to open Dre Greenlaw‘s 21-day return window, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows tweets. Greenlaw is set to practice for the first time since tearing an Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII. Greenlaw’s return also will not count against the 49ers’ activation total, as he is set to enter the PUP-return window.

Feliciano also went down during Super Bowl LVIII, and while his injury may well have contributed to Chris Jones‘ seminal third-down pressure to stop the 49ers’ opening overtime drive, it did not lead to this season’s absence. The 49ers have also found an answer at right guard. They turned to third-round rookie Dominick Puni due in part to Feliciano’s injury, and the Kansas alum has started opposite Aaron Banks throughout the season.

Now 32 and in his 10th year as an NFL blocker, Feliciano had hinted — upon re-signing with the 49ers (on a one-year, $2.75MM deal) in March — this would be his final NFL season. It is not yet known if the former Raiders, Bills and Giants interior lineman will change his mind based on the knee injury, but he will not factor into the 49ers’ plans this season. Feliciano, who has made 61 career starts and spent full seasons at both guard and center, was likely to represent solid swing depth had he returned this season.

Greenlaw obviously will be set for a much bigger role. The longtime Fred Warner sidekick has been a three-down linebacker with San Francisco for years, having signed a two-year, $16.4MM extension during the 2022 season. That pact goes through this season’s end, and Greenlaw will soon aim to secure a strong third contract. The 49ers are likely to slow-play the full-time defender’s ramp-up, but as the 5-6 team now faces the Bills after dropping a one-sided matchup to the Packers sans Purdy and Co., the risk of the defending NFC champions falling out of the playoff race is suddenly real.

Greenlaw, 27, coming back can benefit the 49ers’ defense, and it will be interesting to see when the team decides to activate him. His Super Bowl injury dealt the 49ers a cruel blow, as the player who was to be a key part of the team’s Travis Kelce defense effort stumbled to the turf upon trotting onto the field for a first-half defensive possession. Kelce proceeded to catch nine passes for 93 yards to help the Chiefs to an overtime conquest.

The 49ers already decided to extend one of their many contract-year starters, giving Deommodore Lenoir a five-year, $89.8MM deal, doing so months after paying Brandon Aiyuk. Greenlaw joins Banks, Hufanga and Charvarius Ward among core players not contracted for 2025. Although Greenlaw’s sixth NFL season will be abbreviated, a run at full strength over the final month and change — depending on when the 49ers activate him — would strengthen his 2025 market. The 49ers hold exclusive negotiating rights with Greenlaw until the legal tampering period begins March 10.

49ers Designate Christian McCaffrey For Return; Week 10 Debut Still Expected

November 4th, 2024 at 1:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The next step in Christian McCaffrey‘s return has been taken. The 49ers announced on Monday he has returned to practice, opening his 21-day activation window.

The news comes as little surprise with San Francisco opting to keep McCaffrey on injured reserve through the team’s bye week. A season debut during Week 10 has long been a target, and that remains the case. Indeed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms last season’s Offensive Player of the Year is still on track to suit up for the 49ers’ next game.

McCaffrey missed time in the summer with an Achilles issue which did not immediately seem to threaten his availability for the regular season. The 28-year-old was ultimately placed on injured reserve, however, before taking a trip to Germany to see a specialist. A period of recovery was in place upon return before McCaffrey began a ramp-up phase in his rehab.

Roughly one month ago, the three-time Pro Bowler resumed on-field work, and he has not encountered any setbacks since. Today’s move opens McCaffrey’s activation window, and he must be moved to the active roster within three weeks to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. Provided that takes place, San Francisco’s offense will receive a major boost.

McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing last season, and he topped the league in total scrimmage yards (2,023) and touchdowns (21). A repeat of that production will not be possible given his missed time in 2024, but having a full strength backfield will be key for the 49ers. The team sits at 4-4 on the year despite ranking near the top of the league in several offensive categories, including rushing production (159 yards per game). Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo have filled in during McCaffrey’s absence, but with Brandon Aiyuk out for the year, a full stable of running backs will be key moving forward.

San Francisco also opened the practice window of offensive lineman Jon Feliciano. The 32-year-old was moved to injured reserve one day after roster cutdowns, so his activation will count toward the team’s limit of eight for the regular season. The same is true of McCaffrey as well, of course. When both are brought back into the fold, the 49ers will have four activations remaining.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West

August 28th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.

Arizona Cardinals

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Los Angeles Rams

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

San Francisco 49ers

Signed:

Claimed:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Signed to practice squad:

Seattle Seahawks

Signed:

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Jon Feliciano Likely To Start Season On IR; 49ers G To Miss Several Weeks

August 20th, 2024 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers tested the limits of the NFL’s new IR system two seasons ago, using all eight of their injury activations. Last season brought better health, even though the team finished Super Bowl LVIII with multiple key starters out. Jon Feliciano was among those missing, and he will not make his return for a while.

Feliciano, who took over as San Francisco’s primary right guard down the stretch last season, recently underwent knee surgery. Kyle Shanahan said the veteran interior O-lineman will likely begin the season on IR, per the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman.

A midseason return is expected for Feliciano, who re-signed on a one-year deal worth $2.75MM this offseason. This development strengthens rookie Dominick Puni‘s grip on the job. The third-rounder is on track to be San Francisco’s RG starter, and Feliciano may be a swingman upon returning.

Teams are allotted eight regular-season IR activations. The NFL unveiled that setup in 2022, after the league had given teams unlimited injury returns during the COVID-19-impacted 2020 and ’21 campaigns. The 49ers used all eight of theirs before the 2022 playoffs; they were much healthier by comparison in 2023, having entered Super Bowl LVIII with four IR-return moves remaining. Feliciano will almost definitely be an IR-return player this season, which the former Raiders, Bills and Giants blocker announced recently would be his last.

The NFL announced multiple changes to its IR system this offseason. In addition to teams having access to two more IR-return moves in the playoffs, they will be able to designate up to two players to head straight to IR — rather than be carried onto a 53-man roster and then placed on the injured list — before the regular season. This will give teams roster flexibility. If the 49ers chose to make Feliciano one of their two early IR designations next week, they would lose one of their eight regular-season activations.

Had this situation arisen last year, the 49ers would have needed to keep Feliciano on their 53-man roster before shuttling him to IR following roster-cutdown day. Regardless of how Feliciano moves to IR, he will be heading off the team’s active roster soon. Puni is set to be the 49ers’ right guard, having impressed recently. Spencer Burford, who platooned with Daniel Brunskill in 2022 before losing his job to Feliciano last year (and missing a memorable block on Chris Jones in overtime of the 49ers’ loss to the Chiefs), suffered a fractured hand to further clear the road for Puni.

Pro Football Focus rated Feliciano as the league’s fifth-best guard last season, with ESPN’s pass block win rate metric placing him 18th among all interior O-linemen. While Puni may be ticketed for the RG gig, Feliciano played well for the 49ers in relief of an ineffective Burford last season. The 49ers still have the 10th-year vet in their plans, but it will be a while before he resurfaces.

49ers Rumors: RG, Hufanga, Pearsall

July 27th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Ely Allen

For much of the offseason, we have broadcast the 49ers’ right guard position battle as a challenge between Spencer Burford, who watched the job slip through his fingers last season, and Jon Feliciano, the man who took his job. In the meantime, we’ve logged third-round rookie Dominick Puni as a promising name to watch if he breaks out in training camp.

According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, Puni’s time may be coming up sooner than expected. This revelation comes as Puni’s competition, Burford and Feliciano, both deal with injuries so far in training camp. Burford has suffered a fractured right hand, an ailment that could require surgery. If Burford undergoes surgery, that could keep him out for a bit of training camp, if not longer.

Feliciano has been dealing with a knee issue in recent days. The nine-year veteran has been preparing for what he has announced to be his final NFL season. As an experienced starter, Feliciano could just be playing it safe, getting the benefit of the doubt from coaches while making sure he’ll be ready for the regular season. The more time Feliciano sits out, though, the more first-team reps he’ll be allowing for his competition. Regardless of the position battle, Feliciano’s status last year as the sixth-man of the offensive line makes his health paramount at the moment.

With both Burford and Feliciano out, it’s been Puni taking those first-team reps. The team has praised Puni’s versatility after the Kansas-product made a strong first impression this spring. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster has lauded Puni’s strong frame and intelligence as he makes the adjustment to the NFL game.

Here are a couple of other injury updates from the Bay Area:

Latest On 49ers’ RG Position Battle

June 1st, 2024 at 5:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Last year, the 49ers saw an unexpected battle emerge at right guard. After watching Spencer Burford start for much of the season, versatile veteran interior lineman Jon Feliciano emerged as a better starting option near the end of the season and ended up grading out as Pro Football Focus’ fifth-best guard in the NFL (subscription required). The team has prepped for another position battle between the two this offseason, throwing third-round rookie Dominick Puni into the mix, as well.

Feliciano should be the favorite for the job. Although run game coordinator and offensive line coach Chris Foerster doesn’t see Feliciano as the most-talented option, his experience and consistency have been proven to get the job done for San Francisco. After earning the starting job late in the year last season, Feliciano started all three postseason games for the 49ers, as well. Only an injury saw the reemergence of Burford in the starting lineup, and it eventually resulted in Burford allowing a critical pressure to end the team’s hopes of winning the Super Bowl.

Still, Burford is going to be given every opportunity to win the job back. According to Cam Inman of The Mercury News, Foerster sees Burford as the most talented of the group. “We’re just looking for that consistency,” Foerster told the media. “Maybe it comes from Spencer this year. Obviously, he’s the most talented of the players. I think he’s as talented or more than Puni. Puni will push that from that. And Jon’s just a guy that is a veteran, good player that knows how to get it done.”

The 2022 fourth-round pick out of UTSA had been a starter in each of his first two seasons until getting benched for Feliciano. Even after losing his job as the starter, Foerster continued to find ways to get Burford on the field. If Burford can find that consistency that Foerster craves, he could find himself back in the starting lineup in 2024.

As Foerster mentions, though, Puni will push both players in terms of talent and consistency. Bookending a single season at left guard with four years at tackle while at Kansas, Puni may not have the ability to start at tackle in the NFL, but many view him as a starter on the interior at the next level. Unfortunately, Puni played all but seven games on the left side of the line in college, so he’s currently being slotted as the backup to left guard Aaron Banks. If he continues to show starting ability and consistency and can make the transition to the right side of the line, he could push both Feliciano and Burford for the starting right guard position.

Foerster and the 49ers have plenty of options. Feliciano showed last year that he has the stuff to get the job done as a starter and has lots of motivation to keep the job in what could be his final NFL season. If he does lose the starting position, though, his versatile experience across the interior of the offensive line should help him stay active as the effective sixth-man on the offensive line, a role he held for much of last season. If he does lose the starting role, it will be because one of the two options that Foerster sees as more talented have demonstrated enough consistency to be confidently slotted in as a starter.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

March 20th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

49ers To Re-Sign G Jon Feliciano

March 16th, 2024 at 11:50am CST by Sam Robinson

TODAY, 11:50am: After agreeing to a new contract with the 49ers, Feliciano hinted that the 2024 campaign could be his last. “Last ride,” he wrote on social media (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle), “#Year 10.”

MARCH 15, 9:20am: The 49ers had expressed interest in keeping Jon Feliciano for a second season. Despite having Spencer Burford on a rookie contract for two more years, San Francisco will follow through with its plan of retaining the veteran.

Feliciano will indeed stay in the Bay Area, according to Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager, who indicates the veteran interior O-lineman agreed to a one-year deal Friday. This will be Feliciano’s second one-year 49ers agreement.

Burford remained the 49ers’ right guard starter coming into the season, with Feliciano in the Daniel Brunskill swing role during the campaign’s first half. But the 49ers benched the second-year blocker, turning to Feliciano, who started seven regular-season games and all three San Francisco playoff contests. The 49ers needing to turn back to Burford in Super Bowl LVIII (due to a Feliciano injury) produced a notable miscommunication, as a Chris Jones pressure led to an overtime field goal — which preceded a Chiefs touchdown and a Twitter-driven storyline.

Feliciano defended 49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz by suggesting Burford was at fault on the pivotal play. The veteran blocker later apologized and re-emerged on the 49ers’ radar. GM John Lynch also said he would speak with Laken Tomlinson about a potential reunion. After two Jets seasons, the longtime 49ers left guard remains a free agent. The 49ers extended McKivitz recently, and Feliciano’s return means the team’s five first-string O-linemen are under contract for 2024.

Among guard regulars, Pro Football Focus rated Burford as the second-worst pass blocker last season. Burford had split time with Brunskill as a rookie, but the fourth-rounder sat behind Feliciano during last season’s second half. Feliciano, 32, suffered a pectoral injury during Super Bowl LVIII. PFF rated the former Bills and Giants starter as one of the NFL’s top guards, slotting him fifth overall on the strength of a high-level run-blocking grade.

The Giants had used Feliciano as a one-year center stopgap, letting him walk before drafting John Michael Schmitz in last year’s second round. In a nine-year career that has included 61 starts, the former Raiders fourth-rounder made 31 starts as a Bills guard from 2019-21.

49ers Looking At Bringing Back Laken Tomlinson, Jon Feliciano

March 1st, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers are coming off another loss in the sport’s season finale and are looking at where they can improve and where they want to try and keep their talent. Two 32-year-old interior offensive linemen are going to be available to them, and it sounds like they have plans to look into re-signing Jon Feliciano and/or reuniting with former Jets guard Laken Tomlinson, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Tomlinson was released by New York earlier this week after only two seasons with the team. Originally, a first-round pick for the Lions, Tomlinson was traded to San Francisco, where he played some of the best football of his career. While he was able to bolster his reputation for reliability in New York, extending his streak of 114 straight starts, he failed to bring the production that landed him a three-year, $40MM deal with the Jets in the first place.

General manager John Lynch spoke on the possibility of a reunion after the news dropped. “Laken was a big part of who we were,” Lynch explained. “We’ll talk to his folks and see what his temperature is, where he’s at.”

The other option to start at guard for the team next season is the man who did so this year and graded out as the league’s fifth-best offensive guard as a result, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Feliciano. Feliciano was brought in as a kind of sixth-man for the offensive line. His experience starting at guard for the Raiders and Bills and starting at center for the Giants made him a valued backup up when he first signed with the 49ers.

After a couple injuries led to opportunities to deploy their gadget lineman, Feliciano proved he was a strong fit, eventually wresting the starting job from Spencer Burford. In replacement duty as a starter, the nine-year veteran out of Miami (FL) delivered a career-year. His one-year deal now done, Lynch spoke on his impact.

“We teetered on (whether Feliciano was a) scheme fit because our scheme is a little different,” Lynch said. “You’ve got to be able to get out. Turned out, he was a really good scheme fit, but what we knew every day is, this guy is a glue guy. This is a guy who brings groups together, brings people together. Tough, crusty O-lineman.”

The 49ers could absolutely start 2024 the way they began 2023 and trot out Burford across from Aaron Banks again. But Feliciano and Tomlinson both seemingly represent possible upgrades at the position, and at age 32, both should be acquirable at a fairly reasonable price. Lynch and the 49ers have some work to do moving forward to address the situation.

49ers Planning To Use Jon Feliciano At G

May 17th, 2023 at 10:49am CST by Sam Robinson

The 49ers fielded an inexperienced interior offensive line group last season, but the group stayed healthy and helped on another journey to the NFC championship game. As of now, that Aaron Banks–Jake Brendel–Spencer Burford trio is on track to reprise their roles.

But the 49ers also carried Daniel Brunskill as an insurance policy last year. The former starter mixed in frequently at guard. Brunskill signed a two-year, $5.5MM deal with the Titans in March; he has a clearer path toward a starting job in Nashville, where ex-49ers exec Ran Carthon now runs the show. The 49ers replaced Brunskill with Jon Feliciano, the Giants’ starting center throughout last season.

[RELATED: Colton McKivitz Favored To Become 49ers’ RT Starter]

During an offseason in which a few starting centers re-signed with their respective teams, San Francisco retained Brendel on a four-year, $16.5MM contract. Feliciano joined the team on a one-year, $2.25MM pact. That does not point to starter money, but the Giants used Feliciano as a first-stringer for $3.25MM last year. And the 49ers are not viewing the veteran as a depth-only cog. Feliciano will compete with Burford for the team’s starting right guard gig, David Lombardi of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

The 49ers listed Brunskill as a backup but used their former right guard starter on 519 offensive plays; he primarily platooned with Burford. The 2022 fourth-round pick played 745 snaps. Brunskill’s exit opens the door for Feliciano, a former Raiders backup who became a starter upon joining the Bills in 2019. Feliciano started 16 games at guard for the Bills that year, and while injuries hounded him in 2020 and ’21, ex-Bills staffers Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll made a successful bet on him. Feliciano started 15 games for the Giants last season.

Pro Football Focus graded Feliciano 31st overall among centers in 2022, and the Giants are handing the reins to second-round pick John Michael Schmitz. But the 31-year-old blocker appears a key part of the 49ers’ plans up front.

“Jon is a guy who has started a lot of games here in the last few years,” GM John Lynch said. “I think he gives us tremendous versatility at guard and center. Around the league, it’s kind of known he’s one of those glue guys, one of those guys you want in your room. He became a priority for us in free agency. I felt very fortunate that we were able to come out of free agency with Jon a part of our team, especially once we lost Danny.”

Banks, Brendel and Burford combined to miss just two games last season. Odds are against that collective health repeating. Should Feliciano (54 career starts) lose the RG job to Burford, he will be positioned as an experienced interior swingman. For the other swing spot, Lombardi adds UFA addition Matt Pryor — the Colts’ Week 1 left tackle starter last season — will vie for the OT3 role with third-year blocker Jaylon Moore. Moore started two games last season. Although the Colts demoted Pryor during a disastrous year for their O-line, he has 24 career starts — at both tackle and guard — on his resume.

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