NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The San Francisco 49ers will have a problem on their hands when or if Christian McCaffrey returns. What will they do with Jordan Mason? While it’s a good problem to have, it’s still an issue moving forward.
McCaffrey has not played a snap this season for the 2-2 49ers. While many predicted a downfall for their offense, Mason has more than carried his weight. Not one to be confused with the production that McCaffrey brings, but Mason is averaging 111.8 yards on the ground and has scored 3 Rushing TDs this season.
But this is still McCaffrey’s position. While we’re sure Mason understands that, what will happen to his role in the offense when McCaffrey suits up?
During his stint with the 49ers, Christian McCaffrey has been an all-world player. In 27 regular season games, he’s carried the ball 431 times for 2205 yards and 20 TDs and caught 119 passes for another 1028 yards to pair with 11 TDs. As much as fans want to talk about Deebo Samuels, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Brock Purdy, McCaffrey is the one who makes that engine run.
Yes, the wins have been hard to come by with him out of the lineup but there is no way the organization can ignore what Mason added.
McCaffrey has always been injury-prone. Just look back at his days with the Carolina Panthers. Since arriving in San Fran before this season, he has missed less than a handful of games. It had appeared that he evaded the injury bug. Of all the skilled positions they could not afford to lose, many believed that RB was at the top of the list. We were all wrong.
Jordan Mason joined the 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech in 2022. How did he go undrafted appears to be one of life’s biggest mysteries now. But this is nothing new. Mason has logged 83 carries for 464 yards and 4 TDs in spot duty in the past two seasons as an understudy.
Even if carries are split, how do the 49ers just say to McCaffrey, thanks for all you’ve done but this 3rd-year player is going to take part of your snaps? How do you say to Mason, thanks for holding down the fort, but back to the bench you go?
One way for Mason to look at this is that he’s a free agent next season. With teams looking for a durable and capable back, his name will be at the top of the list. He has enough in the tank to be a featured back for another 5+ years thanks to riding the bench in San Francisco.
McCaffrey is still on the books for another 2 seasons in San Fran with a potential out in 2025. What if the nagging injuries do not subside? Will the 49ers be forced to move on? Will they have to keep Mason as an insurance piece? But it will cost them. As far as production, he’s on pace to be one of the top rushers this season. How much will he cost in the end? The 49ers are paying their receivers top dollar and Purdy still has to sign a new deal soon.
If McCaffrey sits out longer than his expected November return and Mason is still running the way he is, his agents’ phone will be ringing off the hook and the 49ers better pray they are not getting the Panthers’ version of McCaffrey. As I stated earlier, it’s a good problem to have but one that could cause a slight rift if not handled correctly.
