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Sport in Seriousness
Another San Francisco 49ers running back had a standout performance, this time on “Monday Night Football” on ESPN.
Jordan Mason, who filled in as the starter while All-Pro Christian McCaffrey was out with a calf injury, had one of the NFL’s best Week 1 running back performances in the 49ers’ 32-19 win over the Jets. Mason, a former undrafted free agent, rushed on 28 occasions for 147 yards and a touchdown in the victory. He is currently the NFL’s second-leading running back in rushing yards.
REQUIRED READING: Christian McCaffrey injury: Jordan Mason experiences career night with inactive star RB against the Jets
Mason’s standout performance was somewhat unexpected, as just hours before the 49ers game, it was reported that McCaffrey was unavailable to play. However, Mason said in his on-field interview after the game that he knew he would start on Friday.
The 25-year-old running back has been relatively unknown in his three NFL seasons, playing as a backup in one of the league’s best offenses. He has flashed his ability in limited action, but Monday was his first game in the lead role for the 49ers.
Fortunately for San Francisco, the offense has plenty of firepower even without McCaffrey, as Mason showed on Monday night.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mason, including his college education:
Where did Jordan Mason study?
Mason attended Georgia Tech, where he starred for four seasons before going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Mason played for the Yellow Jackets from 2017-2021, but was undrafted in his freshman season.
Mason finished his college career with a total of 2,349 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. He also caught 25 passes for 202 yards and one touchdown in four seasons.
Although Mason was productive in college as a freshman and sophomore, his performance dropped off in 2020 and 2021 as he shared the backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, who was later selected in the first round by the Detroit Lions. He was not invited to the NFL Combine, but ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and managed an impressive 21 bench press reps at his Pro Day.
Despite going undrafted, Mason made the 53-man roster as a rookie, getting the nod over former third-round pick Trey Sermon, who was released.
The Gallatin, Tennessee, native was a three-star recruit in the 2017 recruiting class and ranked as the nation’s No. 1,676 player and No. 92 running back according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. He chose Georgia Tech over Iowa State, Austin Peay, Ball State and Middle Tennessee State, among other small offers.
Jordan Mason Statistics
Here are Mason’s annual stats in the NFL:
- 2022: 43 runs over 258 yards with one touchdown
- 2023: 40 runs for 206 yards with three touchdowns; three pass catches for 31 yards
- 2024: 28 runs over 147 yards with one touchdown; one pass reception over five yards
Jordan Mason contract
Mason still has his rookie contract, which was a three-year deal worth $2.57 million. He will make $985,000 in 2024 after making $870,000 in 2023 and $705,000 in 2022.
Mason will have to be re-signed by the 49ers if they want to keep him beyond the 2024 season.
