Backup RB will be star of the show again for 49ers offense vs. Vikings

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t going to lay bare his plans for running back usage in Sunday’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

After all, he’s probably not even sure whether he’ll have running back Christian McCaffrey at his disposal. McCaffrey was limited in Wednesday’s practice with his calf and Achilles injuries.

If McCaffrey is out again, we can expect another heavy workload for backup RB Jordan Mason.

Mason took 28 carries in the season opener vs. the New York Jets. That’s the most carries any 49er has had under Shanahan. Mason also needs only 16 rushes on Sunday to set a new career-high in carries for a season. He had his high water mark of 43 as a rookie.

It may not be 28 carries again because the game script could dictate otherwise, but a quote from Shanahan in Wednesday’s press conference indicates he won’t hesitate to lean on Mason.

“When I’ve seen him, he hasn’t mentioned anything,” Shanahan said when asked how Mason held up after getting 28 carries. “The trainers haven’t mentioned anything. That’s what I was kind of explaining in training camp that I thought was so impressive. Having so many guys out and how hard he went each day and the way he is, his body really never changed. He ran so hard in that game and he seems good to go.”

If Shanahan believes Mason is ready to shoulder the load, he’s not going to shy away from using the RB. That’s particularly true given the 49ers’ RB depth behind Mason.

Patrick Taylor had 65 career carries in 34 games across three seasons entering 2024. Rookie Isaac Guerendo hasn’t received a regular season touch.

McCaffrey’s return will limit Mason’s workload, although some division of snaps between them may be necessary to keep McCaffrey healthy. Until No. 23 is back on the field, however, we can expect Mason to be the only RB Shanahan turns to no matter how many carries he’s seen.