Jordan

Mason

Mason and Christian McCaffrey (knee) both landed on injured reserve on Monday, paving the way for Isaac Guerendo to become a league-winner in fantasy leagues. Mason would be eligible to return in Week 18 of the regular season, but if the 49ers don’t activate him, his year would end with a rushing line of 153-789-3. He served as the 49ers’ bell cow back for eight weeks while McCaffrey was out, and was one of the top running backs in fantasy during that two-month stretch. Mason will be a restricted free agent next offseason, but could end up playing for another team in 2025 if the 49ers don’t match any qualifying offers that may come his way. Mason will be 26 at the start of next season and has been a lightly-used back during the first three years of his career.

Similar to early in the season without Christian McCaffrey, Mason ran well but lacked the same pass game involvement of a healthy CMC, rushing to 6.0 yards per carry but failing to garner a single target. McCaffrey departed the game five minutes into the second quarter with what the team is calling a knee injury after giving himself up behind the offensive line. He was able to walk under his own power to the medical tent and then to the locker room but did not return, meaning we could be getting another Mason start in Week 14 when the 49ers take on the reeling Bears.

Mason also fumbled once, though the Packers were unable to recover it. The first-half-season fantasy star is just a bench stash at this time. His scoring potential is hamstrung with Brandon Allen under center.

Mason has been fully relegated to that of an elite bench stash, with Christian McCaffrey now dominating touches out of the backfield. Mason fumbled on a kick return attempt but smartly chased the ball down and swatted it out of bounds before the Seahawks’ coverage team could close on it. Mason should not be started against the Packers in Week 12.

With Christian McCaffrey back in the mix, Mason was back on the bench. He combined with Isaac Guerendo for just two total touches in the great one’s return. With CMC looking healthy and avoiding setbacks, Mason can officially be sent back to waiver wires since even in the event of a new McCaffrey injury, Mason would likely form a committee with Guerendo.

We do not yet know how the 49ers’ backfield touches will be distributed but Mason has more than proven himself as a capable contributor. He remains RB4-viable thanks to his rushing talents and the 49ers’ efficient offense. This weekend’s game should provide clarity on the situation moving forward.

Mason was listed as “full” coming out of the 49ers’ bye on Wednesday. It’s possible he experienced unexpected soreness following his Wednesday return, but it’s more likely this was part of a rep management plan all along. Mason’s status still matters with the Niners refusing to confirm Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is indeed returning Sunday. Fantasy managers should still consider it unlikely Mason ultimately ends up in Week 10 lineups.

Mason aggravated his AC joint sprain pre-bye, in the 49ers’ Week 8 game against the Cowboys. His early week participation bodes positively for his availability in Week 10. The 49ers have not yet revealed workload plans for Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles), who is expected to make his 2024 debut this week. Mason will be ready to chip in though.

It’s a perfectly vague quote by Shanahan, who saw Mason exit in the second quarter after injuring his shoulder. It’s presumably the same shoulder Mason suffered a sprained AC joint in back in Week 6, but with a Week 9 bye on tap and Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) hoping to return in Week 10, this may be the last we see of Mason for a while. Mason finished the day with six carries for 18 yards, while rookie Isaac Guerendo ran for 14-85-1 and caught three passes for 17 additional yards. Mason will still be a player worth stashing, but he’s unlikely to have any standalone value once CMC is back in the fold.

Mason briefly left the game early in the second quarter but returned on the following drive. He then walked with trainers to the locker room with just over two minutes remaining before the half. The team deemed him questionable to return with a shoulder injury. Mason managed just 18 yards on six carries and was not targeted prior to departing.