San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan recently shed light on why Jordan Mason, one of the NFL’s most efficient running backs, has seen his role dramatically reduced over the past few games. Despite averaging 5.1 yards per carry and ranking as the 14th leading rusher in the league, Mason has only had six carries in the last three games.
McCaffrey’s Dominance and Shanahan’s Rationale
Shanahan explained the decision to keep Christian McCaffrey as the primary back, even though McCaffrey’s performance has been less impressive, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry since returning from bilateral Achilles tendonitis. McCaffrey continues to play a massive role, participating in 88 percent of the 49ers offensive snaps.
“We’re just not a big three-man rotation team,” Shanahan stated, emphasizing that with a solidified starter like McCaffrey, the focus is on keeping him fresh and at his best. He added that McCaffrey thrives with more reps and that the 49ers’ limited running plays in recent games have made it harder to get other backs involved.
Mason’s Limited Opportunities
Shanahan also explained that while Mason was seeing more action earlier, the team’s offensive structure simply doesn’t allow for much rotation in the backfield. With McCaffrey dominating the snaps and the 49ers often focusing on the passing game, there’s simply not enough room for Mason to showcase his skills regularly.
The coach hinted that financial factors may also be in play, suggesting that the 49ers’ significant investment in McCaffrey leaves little room to give substantial carries to a player like Mason, who earns under $1 million per season and, paradoxically, has been more efficient than McCaffrey in recent outings.
