NFL Analysis
9/10/24
5 min read
Jordan Mason Shines in 49ers’ Week 1 Win, Signals a New RB2 Era in San Francisco
The San Francisco 49ers leaned heavily on RB Jordan Mason in their Week 1 win, showing the rest of the NFL that they might have an established RB2 behind Christian McCaffrey.
Mason had a career night in the 32-19 win against the New York Jets. He was a workhorse with 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown, and another touchdown was called back due to a Deebo Samuel holding penalty near the goal line.
The advanced metrics were strong for Mason, too. RBSDM had the third-year running back with 3.6 expected points added as a rusher and receiver. That was good enough for the third-best non-quarterback EPA in the game behind Jauan Jennings and Allen Lazard. Mason also had a rushing success rate of 46 percent.
Mason's role will decrease once McCaffrey returns. However, his Week 1 performance shows he's ready to handle an increased workload in 2024.
Who Is Jordan Mason?
He may not be a household name yet, but Mason will quickly become a popular player in fantasy football circles after his Week 1 performance.
Mason was an exciting running back for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets early in his college career. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first two seasons, earning third-team All-ACC honors as a redshirt sophomore.
However, injuries and the emergence of fellow running back Jahmyr Gibbs had Mason take on a lesser role in his final two years with the program. He went undrafted in 2022 before signing on with the 49ers as a UDFA.
The 49ers ended up being an ideal fit for Mason. The 223-pound running back made the 53-man roster as a rookie in 2022, and he's stuck with the team ever since. Despite limited action, he's been an efficient runner when called upon, averaging nearly 5.6 yards per carry on 83 rushing attempts for 464 yards and four touchdowns.
Mason Brings ideal skill set to the 49ers
Along with a power-back frame, Mason shows good vision and balance to keep moving forward through contact.
The 49ers offensive line gives Mason some wide-open rushing lanes, but he also has a good feel for where his teammates are winning their blocks, allowing him to make decisive cuts while going north-south to pick up yards in chunks.
Holding! This holding call wipes away a 17 yard TD for the Niners. Interesting if you watch the ref doesn't throw the flag till after the touchdown.. #NYJvsSF pic.twitter.com/2eg2oT3s0B
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) September 10, 2024
Mason's skill set fits perfectly with Kyle Shannahan's rushing attack. He shows good downhill vision and decisiveness and has been in the system long enough to understand where the rushing lanes will open up.
Jordan Mason ices the game. @jpmason27#SFvsSEA pic.twitter.com/AwmyePelwS
— NFL (@NFL) December 16, 2022
Despite a limited sample size, Mason had solid advanced metrics before the 2024 season. He generated a first down on 28 percent of his rushing attempts during the last two seasons while averaging 3.69 yards after contact per carry, with 18 forced missed tackles.
Mason doesn't have the elusiveness or pass-catching versatility that McCaffrey brings to the 49ers offense. However, he can operate as an ideal change-of-pace power back that can find the holes behind a dominant offensive line and keep the chains moving while McCaffrey needs a spell on the sideline.
Expect a heavier RB Rotation
The 49ers have one of the best running backs in the NFL with McCaffrey. However, thanks to the emergence of Mason, they may have to rely less heavily on their superstar prior to the playoffs.
McCaffrey led the NFL with 339 touches last season, running the ball 272 times while adding another 67 receptions on 72 targets. He stayed remarkably healthy despite that heavy workload, missing just one game due to injury.
That heavy workload meant minimal opportunities for the rest of the 49ers backfield. Elijah Mitchell was the second-leading rusher on the team, but he had just 75 carries for 281 yards. Of those carries, 34 came in the final two weeks of the regular season, with the team's playoff berth already secured.
With Mitchell on injured reserve, Mason is now the RB2 in San Francisco, and the 49ers may not be eager to rush McCaffrey back into a heavy workload.
The superstar running back has been dealing with a calf and Achilles injury since the beginning of training camp. While he expected to play in Week 1, the 49ers opted to give him an extra week of rest before rolling him back out onto the field.
Calf/Achilles injuries can be difficult to manage, which means that the 49ers likely won't be as eager to pile on the touches for McCaffrey early in the year. The offense continued to move the ball effectively without McCaffrey in Week 1, so a heavier running back rotation should be expected early on in 2024.
