Jordan Mason of the San Francisco 49ers left Thursday night’s game against the Seattle Seahawks due to an injury. With Christian McCaffrey sidelined, Mason had emerged as one of the top running backs in the NFL.
His performance raised questions about whether the 49ers could maintain similar effectiveness from their third-string running back. Mason started strong, but after a tackle, he immediately grabbed at his shoulder and remained on the ground as medical staff attended to him. He was subsequently taken to the locker room and listed as questionable to return with a shoulder injury.
Fortunately, Mason returned for the second half, but he only managed one carry before heading to the sideline while attempting to loosen up his arm. Isaac Guerendo replaced him, and Patrick Taylor Jr. joined the offense on the first drive of the second half when Guerendo needed a break. However, Mason did not return for that drive or the rest of the third quarter.
The 49ers were already missing McCaffrey, making Mason’s injury a significant concern. Many teams do not have a reliable third running back, but the 49ers’ system tends to elevate player performance. Guerendo, a rookie fourth-round draft pick, was behind Mason on the depth chart and came into the game with only 41 career rushing yards. Taylor had not received any carries this season prior to Thursday’s game. Deebo Samuel Sr. is another option at running back, but the team would prefer not to rely on him as a full-time ball carrier.
Despite missing McCaffrey, Mason had successfully filled much of that gap in production, ranking second in the NFL in rushing yards with 536, trailing only Derrick Henry. McCaffrey has been sidelined all season due to a calf/Achilles injury, but there is an expectation that he will return at some point. The 49ers will be hoping that Mason’s injury does not hinder his availability before McCaffrey can make his comeback.