SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It is uncertain if San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason will be ready for the upcoming game against the Kansas City Chiefs on October 20. However, he received some positive news regarding his injured left shoulder on Friday.
Mason suffered a sprained AC joint in his shoulder during Thursday night’s 36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, according to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. Mason’s status will be assessed on a day-to-day basis as San Francisco begins preparations for their next game on Monday.
“We take it as good news,” Shanahan commented. “It doesn’t guarantee anything for next week. He does have an AC sprain, but it was positive that it wasn’t worse than that. It’ll be day-to-day, and hopefully, he’ll be ready for the game, but there are no guarantees.”
The injury occurred with 9:37 remaining in the second quarter when Mason sustained a hard landing on a tackle by Seahawks safety Julian Love following a 14-yard run. After walking to the sideline, he went to the locker room.
Though initially listed as questionable for a return, Mason was back on the field for the first play of the third quarter, gaining 8 yards on a run. However, Shanahan noted Mason appeared to be in discomfort, leading him to return to the sideline. He did not re-enter the game, though he was available if necessary.
In Mason’s absence, rookie Isaac Guerendo and veteran Patrick Taylor Jr. stepped up as the 49ers rushed for a total of 228 yards on 33 carries.
“I thought they both did a really good job,” Shanahan said. “We didn’t really miss a beat. They kept the rhythm of the offense going, hit the right holes, ran hard and made plays.”
Mason finished the game with 73 rushing yards on nine carries and added a 9-yard reception. With 609 rushing yards this season, he leads the NFL, as other players are approaching their sixth game. He also has three rushing touchdowns, filling in for the injured star Christian McCaffrey, who is dealing with Achilles tendinitis.
“Jordan’s as tough as anybody, so I’m sure if he has a chance to play, he will,” Shanahan noted. “But we have to see how the shoulder responds.”
In addition to Mason’s injury, the 49ers faced another notable setback during Thursday’s game. For the second consecutive game, their kicker was injured attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff return. Matthew Wright, who had just signed with the team on Tuesday, suffered a shoulder injury while trying to stop Seahawks returner Dee Williams with 1:17 left in the match. Shanahan reported that the shoulder “came out for a little bit” but then popped back in.
An MRI on Wright’s shoulder returned negative results on Friday, and he is expected to be able to kick against the Chiefs next week. This means the 49ers are likely to avoid using three kickers in three consecutive games.
Wright joined the 49ers after kicker Jake Moody sustained a high right ankle sprain while attempting a tackle against the Cardinals in Week 5, a setback that will sideline Moody for several weeks. Prior to signing Wright, San Francisco conducted several kicker tryouts last week. He performed well, making all three of his extra points and maintaining a perfect record on field goals against the Seahawks.