What’s the latest on Jordan Mason’s injury, and will he be able to play in Week 7 when the 49ers face the Chiefs?
After getting off to a terrific start against the Seattle Seahawks on “Thursday Night Football,” San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason exited the game after a hit from Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson. What’s the latest on Mason’s injury, and will he be able to play in Week 7 when the 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs?
What’s the Latest On Jordan Mason’s Injury?
After Dodson landed on Mason following a big gain on the ground, San Francisco’s starting RB laid on the field as trainers evaluated him. Mason eventually walked off the field under his own power but went to the locker room to reportedly undergo an X-ray.
Mason returned to the field to start the third quarter and immediately gained nine yards on his first rushing attempt. However, this would end up being his final play of the night, as Mason was still dealing with a lot of pain in his left shoulder and returned to the sideline. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo replaced him at RB for the remainder of the game.
Mason was diagnosed with a sprained AC joint, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that it “is not considered serious.”
Now, as the 49ers prepare for their Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs, Mason is good to go. In fact, he doesn’t even have an injury designation for Sunday’s game.
What Is a Sprained AC Joint?
WebMD describes an AC joint sprain as “a fairly common type of shoulder injury that affects the joint connecting the shoulder blade and collarbone. This sprain is particularly common in athletes and can result from a direct hit to the shoulder or a fall. AC joint sprains can vary in severity, but many can be treated without surgery.”
The AC joint is short for the acromioclavicular joint, which connects the shoulder blade and the collarbone.
“AC joint sprains are caused by damage to the ligaments that support the AC joint and help keep it in place,” per WebMD. “Damage to ligaments can destabilize a joint and cause pain or limit movement. AC joint sprains may also impact surrounding connections with muscles.”
AC joint sprains account for 40% of shoulder injuries suffered by football players.
Judging by Schefter’s report, it sounds like Mason likely has a Type I sprain. If this is the case, that means one of the ligaments supporting his AC joint is sprained but the joint itself, surrounding muscles, and other supporting ligaments aren’t affected.
Fantasy Impact of Mason’s Injury
Mason entered Week 6 having been an RB1 in three of five games and was running well (82 yards on 10 touches) before suffering a shoulder injury. Kyle Shanahan sounded optimistic about his lead running back during the halftime interview, but after handling the first carry of the third quarter, Mason’s evening was done.
Guerendo picked up the slack (10 carries for 99 yards, a stat line that would have included a score if he elected to finish a 76-yard run instead of kneeling just shy to help ice the game) and the rookie is a deserving addition in all formats.
The matchup is a concern. Bijan Robinson scored 13.2 PPR points against the Chiefs in Week 3, serving as the high water mark for the position against the defending champs this season (limiting J.K. Dobbins and Zack Moss is one thing, but Alvin Kamara and Derrick Henry have both also played the Chiefs this season). In fact, the Henry, Robinson, and Kamara trio totaled 40 carries in their K.C. matchup, and none of them had a 10-yard rush.
While Mason is cleared to play, what we saw from Guerendo last week is enough for me to drop my touch projection for Mason, but that’s nitpicking. Mason (5.3 yards per carry this season with an 18+ yard touch in every game this season) will be ranked closer to RB12 than RB5.
San Francisco 49ers RB Depth Chart Behind Mason
Here’s a look at San Francisco’s RB depth chart behind Mason in 2024.
Isaac Guerendo Patrick Taylor Jr. Ke’Shawn Vaughn (practice squad)
Guerendo is ahead of Taylor on San Francisco’s depth chart. He has 22 carries for 140 yards in 2024, while Taylor has five carries for 16 yards and one reception for 12 yards.
Samuel also mixes in at running back, and he has 19 carries for 51 yards and one touchdown this season.
The 49ers selected Guerendo with the No. 129 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Guerendo is an athletic freak who ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash, so he has a ton of upside in San Francisco’s high-powered offense.
Taylor was an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. Taylor spent time with the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots before signing with the 49ers on April 8, 2024. Taylor has 70 carries for 277 rushing yards and one touchdown in his NFL career while also adding 15 receptions for 81 receiving yards as a pass catcher.
This is excellent news for the 49ers and fantasy managers who roster Mason, as he’s been one of the NFL’s best running backs through the first six weeks of the season. He currently leads all players with 609 rushing yards.
It helps that Mason had 10 days to recover since the 49ers last played on Thursday Night Football.