Running back Jordan Mason finally got his time to shine with the 49ers last season.
He was the reason the running game didn't suffer when Christian McCaffrey was placed on Injured Reserve with a bilateral Achilles injury.
Mason was even one of the top leading rushers around midseason. He couldn't sustain it due to injuries keeping him out and slowing him down for a few games.
Still, Mason had an impressive season. Retaining him for 2025 would've been an excellent decision. However, the 49ers seem to refuse to pay anyone over $5 million annually this offseason.
That is what Mason would've received after the 49ers placed the second-round tender on him. Instead of paying him that and keeping him aboard, the 49ers traded him to the Vikings for a swap of draft picks.
It is a decision that the 49ers will regret some weeks into the regular season. They will at least look back on the trade and wonder if they made the right choice.
The reason I believe that is because I think it is inevitable for McCaffrey to get injured and miss time again. When that happens, the 49ers will wish they had Mason.
Yes, they have Isaac Guerendo but he is trending towards being an injury-prone player. The 49ers need trustworthy players to fill out their depth chart. They had one with Mason.
Now, they are going to look at Guerendo, Patrick Taylor Jr., and possibly Israel Abanikanda. and a rookie to supplement the position.
That's not an inspiring group. You can point out that Mason getting paid over $5 million to be back up is too much, especially in a cost-cutting year.
Sure, that makes sense. But maybe, just maybe, the 49ers traded the wrong running back. If Mason is too expensive to keep, so is McCaffrey with his massive injury concern.
Then there is the wonder if he is still the same player that won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023. I'd say that is highly unlikely. He may still be a very good player, but not the 2023 version.
And if the 49ers are truly about cost cutting, trading McCaffrey made the most sense. Having a large sum of money tied in an aging running back with injury and performance concerns is problematic.
The 49ers are banking on him to be as healthy and impactful as he was before this all began a year ago. I just don't think they are ever getting that version back again.
If that comes to pass in 2025, that is when they will look back and regret not retaining Mason.
