Jordan Mason rushed for 147 yards and 1 touchdown Sunday against the Patriots. But he technically didn’t start the game.
Mason currently leads the NFL in rushing attempts and ranks second in the league in rushing yards. He’s having a Pro Bowl season. But he’s earning less than $1 million this season, which means he’s the cheapest player on an offense full of expensive veterans.
The 49ers currently are spending big bucks on Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk and Jauan Jennings. Which means Kyle Shanahan has to find a way to get them on the field as much as possible to justify their contracts.
So on the first play of the 49ers’ 30-13 win over the Patriots, Mason was on the sideline while Aiyuk, Samuel, Kittle, Juszczyk and Jennings all were on the field. Samuel lined up a running back and carried the ball for 6 yards. Then Jennings ran off the field and Mason took his place. All so Kyle Shanahan could start both Juszczyk and Jennings at the same time and not bench one of them.
Jennings currently is the NFL’s fourth-leading receiver — he needs to start every week from now on. Meanwhile, Juszczyk is a 33-year-old fullback who touches the ball once or twice a game. He’s by far the least valuable starter among the offensive skill players. Both Jennings and Mason should start over him every game while Juszczyk should play sparingly in obvious running downs.
Download and follow The Best 49ers Podcast.
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source link
