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 have 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.