SANTA CLARA — This seems like good news.
Jordan Mason was on the field with his teammates wearing a blue non-contact jersey during Monday’s practice. This means Mason can run and cut and go through the motions of practice but no one can touch him. The 49ers clearly don’t want him to reaggravate his shoulder injury.
Mason sprained the AC joint in his shoulder during the first half of Thursday’s 36-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks. He returned for one play in the second half, ran straight out of bounds without taking a hit and left the game for good. Which seemed to suggest that the mere act of running was too painful for him to bear.
Now at least he can run around and practice. That’s a good sign. He has another few days for his shoulder to heal before Sunday’s big game at home against the Chiefs. And the 49ers probably will need Mason to play in that game to have a chance to win.
But will Mason potentially reaggravate his shoulder if he plays too soon? He’s one of the most violent runners in the NFL — he lowers his shoulder into contact every time he touches the ball. If the 49ers don’t give him enough time to heal, his shoulder injury could linger all season.
The 49ers obviously feel Mason isn’t ready for contact yet — that’s why he’s wearing the blue jersey at practice. It will be interesting to see if he practices without that jersey at any point this week. And if he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see if the 49ers let him play against the Chiefs.
Just how cautious with Mason will the 49ers be?
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