INSANITY, California Jordan Mason has been wearing the uniform of a starting running back for the better part of the last two seasons. It was until Monday night that he was able to play it.
Mason’s wait may have been longer than he had hoped and may have occurred under less than ideal circumstances (he had to replace an injured Christian McCaffrey), but it was evident in the opening game of the season that he was more than capable of leading the Niners, as they defeated the New York Jets 32-19.
“I’ve been working all of training camp for this moment, and I’m blessed to be able to get to play today and show it,” Mason said.
Mason achieved career-highs with 28 carries for 147 yards by the time he was finished. He also added five more yards on a throw reception and a running score. Following the victory, several wondered when the Niners knew Mason would start and McCaffrey would not.
Mason informed ESPN’s Lisa Salters during an on-field interview that he learned “maybe Friday night” that he might be eligible to start. Nothing was decided on Friday, according to coach Kyle Shanahan, and nothing was settled until Monday.
Nevertheless, McCaffrey’s declaration as an inactive 90 minutes prior to Monday night’s kickoff at Levi’s Stadium due to persistent calf and Achilles issues caught many off guard, and Mason’s start was unexpected. McCaffrey took part in limited drills in each of the four Niners practices this week, and on Saturday’s final injury report, he was officially categorized as questionable.
All of that being said, McCaffrey was supposed to be primed for action. McCaffrey stated on Friday afternoon that he was positive he would play against the Jets and that he expected to be back to his typical demanding schedule.
Shanahan stated that McCaffrey “thought it was going to be smart to keep him out” and that “it was a little too much today” for him to be able to play after the game. Shanahan continued, saying McCaffrey had no difficulties in the real world.
Shanahan remarked, “It was on and off throughout the week.” “He was able to practice all week long, but there was always some level of discomfort for him. It disappears occasionally. It reappears occasionally. He wasn’t feeling good about it, and it was bugging him a little too much today.”
Mason’s opportunity to move up the depth chart was made possible by McCaffrey’s injury as well as Elijah Mitchell’s season-ending hamstring injury during training camp. Mason took advantage of this opportunity with a good camp that probably would have propelled him beyond Mitchell anyhow.
Though Mason had never received more than 11 carries, 69 yards, or 27 offensive snaps in an NFL game prior to Monday night, his performance during training camp gave the Niners confidence that he was ready to step in and contribute.
He had the most carries in a regular-season game since Shanahan took over in 2017 with 28 against the Jets, and he had the most in a 49ers season opening ever. His 147 yards were the second-highest by an undrafted player on “Monday Night Football” and the fourth-most rushing yards by an undrafted player in a season opening ever.
Those in the Niners locker room who had watched Mason grow from a 2022 Georgia Tech undrafted free agent into a runner who averaged 5.6 yards per carry in his previous 33 NFL games were not surprised by his output.
Left tackle Trent Williams stated, “I remember he looked like that every time he touched the ball.” “That is how he appeared tonight.
“Over the past few years, I’m sure he’s matured, but I didn’t notice any obvious gaps. And he developed. He was rather mature when he arrived and was always prepared for his chance. He was always prepared, even as the third or fourth back. And he entered, won us many games, and ran fiercely, winning the esteem of all.”
Numerous teammates of Mason’s, including as fullback Kyle Juszczyk and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., claimed to have learned on Friday that Mason would be starting in place of McCaffrey. Mason was warned by Shanahan and other coaches that he would play a bigger role this coming week, so he should be prepared for it. However, Shanahan did not officially inform Mason that he would be starting until Monday afternoon.
Shanahan remarked of McCaffrey, “We found out he wasn’t playing today and we don’t know how he’s going to feel tomorrow or the next day.” Up until today, I believed he was playing the entire week.”
There may not be any such mystery as the Niners get ready to go to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, depending on how McCaffrey’s remaining days of this week go. The fact that San Francisco’s next two games will take place on artificial turf may discourage McCaffrey from making a quick comeback.
Shanahan stated that since McCaffrey would be observed once more over the week, it is premature to make any statements at this time.
Shanahan stated, “I’ll ask the player how he’s feeling.” “They are prepared to leave if they are in excellent health and feel like it. Saying you feel better on grass than on turf is frequently a code word for not feeling all that wonderful. Tomorrow, we’ll see how he feels. See you the following day. And on Sunday, we’ll find out how he feels.”
And after what he did on Monday night, the Niners won’t hesitate to turn back to Mason.
Shanahan remarked, “I assumed he runs like he always does.” “He breaks tackles and typically gets more than we block for when you get him the ball. He usually hit the good lanes when we had them, and we got a lot. However, JP was fantastic today.
