Jordan Mason of the San Francisco 49ers left Thursday night’s game due to an injury. With Christian McCaffrey sidelined, Mason had been making a significant impact as one of the NFL’s top running backs.
Concerns arose for the 49ers during the game against the Seattle Seahawks when Mason, who started strong, was tackled and immediately grabbed his shoulder. He remained down for a while as athletic trainers attended to him before heading to the locker room, where the team reported he was questionable to return due to a shoulder injury.
Fortunately, Mason made a return for the second half but exited after just one carry, appearing to move his arm to loosen up. Isaac Guerendo took over when Mason left the field, followed by Patrick Taylor Jr. during the 49ers’ first drive of the second half. Mason did not return for the remainder of the third quarter after participating in only one play.
The injury raised concerns for the 49ers, especially with McCaffrey already unavailable. Many teams struggle to field a reliable third running back, although the 49ers’ system tends to elevate player performance. Rookie Guerendo, who was behind Mason on the depth chart, had previously accumulated only 41 career yards before Thursday’s game. Taylor, also positioned behind Guerendo, had not carried the ball during the season until then. Deebo Samuel Sr. occasionally plays as running back, but the team is unlikely to shift him to that role permanently.
The 49ers had felt McCaffrey’s absence in several aspects, but Mason had filled in admirably, ranking second in the NFL in rushing yards, only behind Derrick Henry, with a total of 536 yards, more than any other player except Henry.
McCaffrey has missed every game this season due to a calf/Achilles injury but is expected to return at some point. The team hopes Mason’s injury is not serious, allowing him to be available before McCaffrey’s return.