The veteran offensive liner Jon Feliciano announced his NFL withdrawal on Thursday, but kept the door a bit if a team needs help at the end of the 2025 season.
Feliciano, 33, lost the 2024 season in the Lesion Reserve with the San Francisco 49ers after undergoing knee surgery and said Thursday in a publication on social networks that he does not believe he can overcome a full season.
“After months of weighing my options, I realized that I had to leave the game. The fire is still there, but I know that I cannot last a full season and I cannot disappoint people,” he wrote in a statement.
“Being in a team and unable to help your children is difficult. That said, Buffalo or SF, I will be ready for a race in the playoffs in December if you need me.”
Feliciano spent three seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2019-21) and said in his statement that “Buffalo is a unique place that I will always call home. Thank you Buffalo for all the love you showed me, my family and my support staff.”
After a season with the New York Giants during which he was part of a playoff team, he signed with the 49ers, spent the last two seasons in San Franciso and arrived at the Super Bowl in 2023.
Feliciano called the 2023 season during which he emerged as the initial right guard of the 49ers “The best season of my career”, in his statement.
“What followed was the worst season of my career. My knee hit and ended up losing the whole season. I am grateful for my teammates who were there for me and tried to keep my spirit awake when I was reviewing it,” he wrote.
Feliciano spent the first four seasons of his career with the Oakland Raiders, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft.
He has appeared in 113 games with 61 openings in his career.
