San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is his own harshest critic. He led the team with 34 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries, averaging 5.7 yards per attempt in the preseason-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans. However, when it came to self-evaluation, Mason could only focus on what needed improvement.
Mason admitted that he refuses to get comfortable in his third NFL season. He fears complacency could hinder his growth and prevent him from reaching his full potential on the field. Instead of dwelling on what went right against the Titans, Mason zeroed in on his mistakes, such as missing a catch on his only target.
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"I missed a catch out there today that I didn't want to miss, obviously," Mason told reporters in the visitor's locker room at Nissan Stadium after the game. "And the protection out there—I ran good, but there's some things that I don't like about today."
Mason worked hard this offseason to hone his pass-catching skills, even investing in a $3,000 JUGS machine and training with his father to become a better contributor in the passing game. That missed catch against the Titans was particularly disappointing.
Mason has just three career receptions for 31 yards, all of which came in 2023. Over his two NFL seasons, he has amassed 464 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 83 carries.
During training camp, Mason has shown his teammates that he is becoming a more well-rounded player, making an impact in both the run and pass game.
"I think he looks way more complete than he has been," running back Christian McCaffrey commented at the start of camp. "He's always been able to do it. It's just being consistent with it. And I think you see now, he's making things happen in the pass game and the run game that are just consistent with it."
After the preseason loss, quarterback Brandon Allen commented on Jordan Mason's noticeable progress.
"Since I got here last year, I've noticed just how hard he runs, and his vision is really, really good," Allen shared. "And any time you have that kind of combo, where you run extremely physical and have good vision, those two things really go well for a running back."
Mason added, "I guess the media can say I had a good day, but to me, I didn't really have a good day, to me. I mean, I know I can run. I'm trying to make my game complete."