The San Francisco 49ers have had horrible luck with injuries, especially at running back. They lost Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) before the season began, Christian McCaffrey missed the first nine weeks and then suffered a season-ending PCL injury in his fourth game back, and now Jordan Mason is also on injured reserve. What happened to Mason, and who is starting in his absence?
Why Isn’t Jordan Mason Playing?
It wasn’t immediately clear when Mason suffered an injury during the team’s Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills. However, after the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that Mason sustained a high ankle sprain at some point in the Sunday night defeat, which was overshadowed by McCaffrey’s knee injury.
When the 49ers placed McCaffrey on injured reserve (IR) due to his PCL sprain, the presumption was Mason would serve as the lead back.
Instead, Mason was also placed on IR the same day, knocking him out for at least the next four games (and potentially the remainder of the season).
When Will Mason Return From Injury?
The timeline for players to return from a high ankle sprain varies. Generally, it’s in the 4-6 week range, though players can push to play sooner if there are high-stakes games upcoming.
Of course, that’s all irrelevant to Mason since he is on IR and is guaranteed at least a four-game absence. The earliest he can return is for the Week 18 regular-season finale.
With the 49ers’ playoff chances rapidly diminishing, it’s likely we won’t see Mason again this season. The 49ers only have a 15.1% chance of making the playoffs, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor.
The good news is Mason should be fully recovered by early 2025 and is unlikely to experience any lingering effects ahead of next season’s training camp.
Who is the 49ers’ Starting Running Back?
With McCaffrey and Mason out, the next man up is rookie Isaac Guerendo. Guerendo was selected in the fourth round (No. 129 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The rookie entered the season as the fourth option on the 49ers’ depth chart, but he has played well when called upon. While he’s dealing with a sprained foot, he’s playing through it against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
With the fantasy football playoffs starting tonight:
49ers rookie RB Isaac Guerendo plans to play Thursday night vs. the Rams despite his sprained foot that has left him being listed as questionable, per sources. Guerendo insists he “feels good.” pic.twitter.com/WClJ52lva3
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 12, 2024
Guerendo ran a blazing 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which led all running backs and helped his draft stock significantly. He also posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump, which again ranked first at his position.
The 6’0″, 220-pounder racked up 1,392 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns throughout his collegiate career at Louisville and Wisconsin. Initially, he was a wide receiver, but he made the transition to running back.
This season, the 24-year-old has rushed 57 times for 324 yards and four touchdowns while adding seven catches for 69 yards.
The other running backs on the roster are Patrick Taylor Jr., Israel Abanikanda, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn. Taylor is a 26-year-old veteran who came to San Francisco via free agency after spending his first three seasons with the Green Bay Packers. This season, he has 14 carries for 50 yards and one touchdown, plus two catches for 12 yards.
The Niners claimed Abanikanda off waivers from the New York Jets on Dec. 3, so he’s still learning the playbook. He was drafted by the Jets in the fifth round (No. 143 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. Over his first two NFL seasons, he appeared in six games and carried the ball 22 times for 70 yards to go along with seven receptions for 43 yards. This season, Abanikanda was inactive for every game before the Jets ultimately waived him.
As for Vaughn, he’s a practice squad player who was elevated for last week’s game against the Bears. The 27-year-old is a five-year veteran who played four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers prior to joining the Niners. Throughout his career, he has appeared in 44 games, rushing 105 times for 388 yards and two touchdowns while adding 14 receptions for 81 yards and a score. He was on the Bucs’ 2020 team that won Super Bowl LV.
