The San Francisco 49ers have had tremendously bad luck with injuries, especially at the running back position. They lost Elijah Mitchell before the season began, then Christian McCaffrey missed the first two months, and now, Jordan Mason is sidelined for an extended period of time. What is Mason’s injury, and when might he return to action?
What Is Jordan Mason’s Injury?
Watching the game this past Sunday night, it wasn’t apparent when Mason got hurt. Yet, he sustained a high ankle sprain at some point in the 49ers’ loss to the Buffalo Bills.
When the 49ers placed McCaffrey on injured reserve due to his PCL sprain, the presumption was Mason would serve as the lead back. Instead, Mason was right alongside McCaffrey on the trip to IR.
When Will Mason Return From Injury?
The timeline for return to play for high ankle sprains varies. Generally, it’s in the 4-6 week range, but more mild cases can heal enough in two weeks. Of course, that’s all irrelevant to Mason since he is on IR and is guaranteed at least a four-game absence.
With only five weeks left in the regular season and the 49ers’ playoff chances diminishing, it’s likely we won’t see Mason again this season. However, he will be fully recovered by early 2025 and should experience no lingering effects ahead of next season’s training camp.
How Will Mason’s Absence Impact the 49ers?
When McCaffrey missed the first two months of the season, Mason served as the RB1. He was all set to reprise that role with McCaffrey once again on the shelf, but with him out as well, San Francisco is now down to its RB4.
It will be Isaac Guerendo as the starter the rest of the way, provided, of course, that he can stay on the field. The rookie fourth-rounder’s extended audition came back in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys. He played more than 50% of the snaps and scored 19.2 fantasy points.
This version of the 49ers’ offense is nowhere near as potent as previous years. They lost Brandon Aiyuk weeks ago. McCaffrey is now also done for the year. And at nearly 29 years old with a lengthy injury history, it sure looks like Deebo Samuel Sr.’s time as an impactful football player has also come to an end.
Aside from George Kittle and Jauan Jennings, there’s not much here offensively for San Francisco. This presents a big opportunity for Guerendo to prove he belongs and perhaps even earn the RB2 role for the 2025 season.
