Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy recently commended his offensive line in an interview with KNBR, referring to them as “war daddies” and expressing total faith in their capabilities. This unit has often faced scrutiny from fans, who anticipated that the team would prioritize improvements during the 2025 NFL Draft. Ultimately, the 49ers only selected one offensive lineman, choosing guard Connor Colby in the seventh round.
Former offensive lineman Jon Feliciano, who announced his retirement in February, recently shared his views on social media. Initially, many outlets misrepresented his post, causing a misunderstanding about its intent. An apology was issued for contributing to this confusion, and the article has been updated to reflect a clearer understanding of his message.
Feliciano stated, “Everyone on the team are first ballot hall of famers to be able to have so much success in spite of that s****y OL,” which at first seemed like a critique of the current offensive line. However, in a more sarcastic interpretation, it appears Feliciano was defending his former teammates, pointing out the ironic praise of the offensive playmakers while ignoring the efforts of the linemen.
Despite retiring, Feliciano hinted at a possible return for a playoff run, saying, “I’ll be ready for a playoff run in December if you need me.” His absence last season opened opportunities for rookie guard Dominick Puni, who distinguished himself with the highest Pro Football Focus grade (80.5) among rookie offensive linemen in 2024.
Purdy, who signed a substantial five-year extension, remains optimistic about the offensive line as the 2025 season approaches. He stated, “Those guys up front, I can tell you, they are war daddies. Every single day, they’re coming to work, getting better. I’ve got their back, they’ve got mine, and now we’re going to be just fine.”
We will soon see whether Purdy’s faith in his offensive line proves justified, or if general manager John Lynch and the 49ers should have invested more resources into protecting their high-value quarterback.
Thanks to Nick San Miguel of Niner Noise for bringing this to light.
