The San Francisco 49ers parted methods with one other key participant on Saturday after they traded operating again Jordan Mason, however the newest deal could also be a optimistic signal for the workforce.
Mason was traded from San Francisco to the Minnesota Vikings in trade for a sixth-round draft decide. The deal, which additionally concerned a decide swap, continued what has been an offseason talent purge for the 49ers.
Mason has averaged a powerful 5.3 yards per carry in his three-year NFL profession. He rushed for 789 yards on 153 carries after being thrust into an even bigger position final 12 months due to Christian McCaffrey’s Achilles woes.
Many have questioned why the Niners discovered it worthwhile to commerce a invaluable insurance coverage coverage for a sixth-round decide. For starters, Mason was owed $5.3M subsequent season. San Francisco in all probability didn’t wish to pay that a lot for a backup operating again.
The commerce may additionally sign that McCaffrey is wholesome. McCaffrey’s standing was unclear all through all of final offseason. He wound up taking part in in solely 4 regular-season video games, so Mason crammed a major void for some time. San Francisco’s choice to half methods with Mason could imply the workforce is assured McCaffrey might be wholesome heading into 2025.
In fact, operating backs at all times appear to thrive in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Isaac Guerendo is getting into his second NFL season and on a way more team-friendly contract. He turned the “subsequent man up” in San Francisco after Mason suffered an ankle damage in Week 13. Guerendo rushed for 420 yards and 4 touchdowns and averaged a powerful 5.0 yards per carry as a rookie.
Niners followers are hoping the Mason commerce is a sign that McCaffrey is able to return to his All-Professional kind. In actuality, Shanahan and common supervisor John Lynch are probably assured they’ll get equal manufacturing out of a a lot cheaper participant than Mason.
