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Christian McCaffrey injury: Who is Jordan Mason? Get to know 49ers RB in line for bigger workload vs. Jets

Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out, but the San Francisco 49ers offense is not devoid of weapons, and that includes at the running back position. 

With McCaffrey out, the bulk of the 49ers’ carries will likely go to Jordan Mason, a third-year player who is slated to make his first career start. While he hasn’t had a lot of regular season work, Mason has definitely made the most of his limited opportunities to this point. 

Here’s a quick rundown of Mason’s bonafides entering Monday night’s game against the New York Jets

Productive back 

Mason played in 33 games during his two NFL seasons that were both spent with the 49ers. He has 83 career carries for 464 yards and four touchdowns. The thing that really sticks out is Mason’s eye-popping 5.6 yards-per-carry average. He averaged a whopping 6.0 yards-per-carry as a rookie and 5.2 yards-per-carry in 2023. 

Can carry the load

He hasn’t been asked to often, but Mason has handled a decent workload before. He had three games where he had at least eight carries during his rookie season. Last year, he had a career-high 69 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries during San Francisco’s blowout win over the Cowboys in Week 5. 

Former Yellow Jacket 

Mason spent his college years at Georgia Tech, where his career yards-per-carry average was also 5.2 yards. His best season occurred in 2019, when he rushed for 899 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards-per-carry. 

NFL comp

Mason is similar to Najee Harris, Pittsburgh’s four-year veteran who is the only player to rush for over 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons. Like Harris, Mason is a strong, sturdy back who is difficult to bring down. Mason is a decisive runner who is more productive running between the tackles. 

Mason’s game is also similar to Marion Barber‘s, the former Cowboys Pro Bowl running back. 

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Author: Bryan DeArdo
September 9, 2024 | 7:50 pm

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