On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, running back Jordan Mason has the chance to become the first player in San Francisco 49ers history to rush for 100 or more yards in four of the first five games of the season. Mason has stepped up admirably in place of injured running back Christian McCaffrey, amassing 447 yards and three touchdowns on a league-high 91 carries.
Currently, Mason is on pace for an impressive 1,900 rushing yards. Whether he can maintain this level of performance as the season progresses remains to be seen. However, within the 49ers locker room, no one is surprised by the 25-year-old running back's success.
"Jordan Mason has been one of the best running backs in the league through four games," veteran offensive tackle Trent Williams said in an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network. "That goes without saying. It's nothing new to us. Jordan has been here for a few years now and we've always been impressed with him."
Mason has taken much of the NFL by surprise. His previous season high was just 258 rushing yards, achieved during his rookie campaign in 2022 after the 49ers signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech.
"JP Mason fell behind Jahmyr Gibbs at Georgia Tech," general manager John Lynch noted during a radio interview on Friday morning. "Jahmyr Gibbs, who's playing for the Detroit Lions, who later transferred to Alabama."
Lynch added that Mason has become one of many "diamonds in the rough" that the 49ers have unearthed in recent years, emphasizing the team's pride in its ability to identify hidden talent. That talent became apparent to his teammates from the start.
"He's closed out games for us in the past," Williams continued. "He's always taken advantage of the opportunities that came his way. I don't recall seeing a lot of negative plays with the ball in his hands, even in past seasons."
Mason has averaged an impressive 5.2 yards per carry over his three NFL seasons, and this year, he is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 111.8 yards per game as the 49ers' fill-in starter. Once again, none of this is surprising to his teammates.
"Mason's production right now, it hasn't surprised anybody in our locker room," Williams added. "We're so happy for him. He's a great kid, a very humble kid. He deserves this opportunity and all of the success coming his way."