Getty Kyle Shanahan, who spoke about Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell as 49ers backup this week.
We might not know until Monday night when the 49ers take on the Vikings whether the oblique muscle injury to running back Christian McCaffrey will cost him time on the field. But we can begin to divine what might happen in case it does. The 49ers will have Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell taking his reps, and though the team has Mitchell listed as McCaffrey’s backup, it is likely that they’ll lean more heavily on Mason.
That’s certainly what the recent snap counts and overall stats have shown.
On the season, Mitchell (who has been battling injuries), has 18 carries for 49 yards in three games, and has been on the field for 45 snaps in his three appearances, or 21% of plays. Mason, meanwhile, has 21 carries in six games, for a total of 117 yards, and has played just 10% of offensive snaps.
That’s not the full story, though. Mason had a breakout showing with 10 carries and 69 yards against Dallas while Mitchell was hurt in Week 5. He scored a touchdown in that one, too. He had 13 snaps in that game, and that translated into 15 snaps in Week 7. Mitchell had only seven snaps against the Browns.
Over at Pro Football Focus, Mason has graded out as one of the better backup running backs in the NFL, with a grade of 86.6. Mitchell, though, has a subpar grade of 49.9.
Not Just Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell for 49ers
The numbers say that Mason should be the one getting the bulk of the carries in the absence of Mitchell. But there’s more to running a team than the numbers. Coach Kyle Shanahan pointed out that Mitchell was a starter as a rookie and collected 963 yards in 11 games, a rookie rushing record for the team.
He came back in 2022 but had nagging knee injuries that have followed him into this year.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Shanahan said on Monday. “Elijah’s earned a ton with us over these years. I think Elijah, when he has been healthy, has been as good of a back as there is. He’s just had a hard time staying healthy, but I also can’t take away anything from JP (Mason). I mean every time JP’s got his opportunities, you guys see how he’s done. So both of those guys have done very well.”
Shanahan also warned not to read too much into last week’s snap counts.
“Elijah came back and practiced late last week on Thursday,” he said. “So he got really one true day of practice in and that’s why JP got the first nod once Christian came out. But we’ve got two really good players there. … So hopefully Christian will be good to go this week, but if not, we’ve got a group of backs that we can rely on.”
More Deebo Samuel Carries?
Former NFL lineman and analyst Brian Baldinger threw another wrinkle into the mix, beyond a 49ers Jordan Mason or Elijah Mitchell choice. While Mason and Mitchell are fine backups perhaps, Baldinger said, the team winds up giving the ball directly to receiver Deebo Samuel more. He has 18 rushing attempts for 95 yards and a touchdown this year.
“They’re going to have to adjust,” Baldinger said on KNBR radio, via 49ers Web Zone. “Maybe [WR] Deebo [Samuel] carries it more than what we have seen. That’s a possibility. But they like Mitchell. They like Jordan Mason. It’s their time to shine. I mean, everybody’s dealing with these injuries. I don’t care if you’re the backup quarterback or whatever it is, everybody’s dealing with it. And so, at one position or another, it’s the 49ers’ time to deal with it right now.”