San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is filling in for an injured Christian McCaffrey. He is on pace for around 1,900 rushing yards this season, averaging nearly five yards per carry. However, another statistic stands out: Mason has an NFL-leading 91 carries, 11 more than the next closest player.
"Outside of the receiving ability that McCaffrey gives you, you couldn't ask for any runner to be better than Mason is right now in that role," analyst Brian Baldinger said during his Tuesday morning interview on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game.
The next 49ers running back with the highest number of carries this season is rookie Isaac Guerendo, with just seven. Quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Deebo Samuel each have more carries than Guerendo. Before this season, Mason had recorded 83 total carries in his entire NFL career.
Baldinger expressed concern about Mason's workload, drawing parallels to McCaffrey's situation. Last season, McCaffrey had a league-leading 339 touches during his NFL Offensive Player of the Year campaign. He's dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis this season, which has kept him off the field.
"He's young, so he's got that going for him," Baldinger said of Mason. "The line is blocking very, very well. The tight ends were excellent last week in combination. But he's not missing any holes, and he punishes players every time he does run into them.
"He's a top-five back. I don't know how many guys are going to hit 1,800 yards. This Arizona defense isn't very good. ... Every time, in the three of the four games right now, he's had 20-plus carries, he has had over 100 yards. ... He's a 100-yard-a-game guy right now getting 20 [carries]. That's a lot. That adds up.
"You've got to figure out a way, especially when you've got a lead, to get him the hell out of the game. If you're up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in Arizona, get him out. We said this last year to McCaffrey. Get him out of the game and save him. You need him."
Complicating matters is that running back Elijah Mitchell, a favorite of head coach Kyle Shanahan, was placed on injured reserve before the season began. It's unclear whether Shanahan has enough confidence in Guerendo, especially after his fumbled kickoff return against the New England Patriots.
Discussing the 49ers' mindset, Baldinger emphasized that the team's primary focus is not on individual accolades but on winning a championship. He stressed the importance of making decisions prioritizing the season's long-term success.
"The 49ers are trying to win a Super Bowl," Baldinger continued. "They've got three or four postseason games in addition to the 17. You have to start thinking about that. Even in Week 5, if you've got a lead, to get him out, stop him at 16 carries, get him to the 20th game. That's what's going to be most important, especially if you're not going to get much from McCaffrey right now."
You can listen to Baldinger's entire interview below.