INDIANAPOLIS — Nobody is perfect.
The 49ers have been exceptional at maintaining a locker room that does not place blame on individual mistakes on the field, but after the Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the emotions ran rampant and there was a lapse in judgment.
In speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, 49ers general manager John Lynch explained that the social media interaction between Jon Feliciano and Spencer Burford on X, formerly known as Twitter, was an anomaly and that the offensive linemen have gotten past the incident.
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“I think no one is going to be perfect and I think what I was proud of — he owned his mistake right there and Spencer knows that," Lynch said. "That’s a tight group. Nobody is tighter than the O-line.”
On what ended up being the offense’s final play in overtime of the Super Bowl, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones got past the line untouched, pressuring Brock Purdy and forcing a field goal. In Feliciano’s attempt to defend Colton McKivitz's not blocking the star pass rusher on the play, he indicated it was Burford’s mistake.
“[Feliciano] said something to try to defend one teammate and in the process felt bad about what he did to another and he owned it,” Lynch said. “Spencer understands that and so that’s who we are.
“Nobody is going to be perfect, but when you make a mistake, own up to it and know that we are tight enough and have been through enough experiences that we’ve got each other’s back.”
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Feliciano was a solid addition to the club’s offensive front, taking over as a starter at right guard halfway through the 2023 NFL season. Burford entered the lineup during the Super Bowl after the 32-year-old veteran injured his pectoral muscle after 31 snaps.
“We teetered on is [Feliciano] a scheme fit because our scheme is a little different,” Lynch said. “You 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.”
While Feliciano’s behavior isn’t what the 49ers expect from the players, Lynch did not hesitate when asked if the club’s offseason plan included bringing back the veteran lineman who is set to become a free agent.
“Absolutely,” Lynch said. “He played a really high level for us.”
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