The San Francisco 49ers have a crowded running back room. Alongside the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey, are veterans Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason. The team also drafted speedy running back Isaac Guerendo. Newcomers Cody Schrader and Patrick Taylor hope to carve out roles on the Super Bowl-hopeful roster, even if that means fighting for practice squad spots.
The sheer numbers at the position have led to speculation that Mason—or even Mitchell—might be the odd man out. Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report named both running backs as potential 49ers trade candidates, a three-person list that includes wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Mitchell had an impressive 2021 rookie campaign, rushing for 963 yards. However, he failed to surpass the 300-yard mark in his last two seasons, with his average yards per carry falling to 3.7 last season. Injuries and the arrival of McCaffrey, who tends to fight to stay on the football field, have limited Mitchell's opportunities and contributed to his disappointing numbers.
Tansey believes the addition of Guerendo could threaten Mitchell's standing with the 49ers, suggesting that one of the veteran running backs might have to go.
"Mitchell's two sub-300-yard seasons might not intrigue some teams, but he has previous responsibility as the top guy and averaged over 4.5 yards per carry in two of his three NFL seasons," Tansey wrote.
"Guerendo and Jordan Mason can be good insurance policies for McCaffrey if Mitchell moves on. Any market for Mitchell would likely develop once training camp begins. One injury could change the entire running back market."
Regarding Mason, Tansey believes the third-year running back is in even more danger of departure. While he only has 464 career rushing yards, he has averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per attempt, making him an intriguing prospect for teams looking to bolster their running back rooms.
Potentially becoming the fourth running back on the depth chart makes Mason's future uncertain.
"Mason may be better off signing with another team after a potential release, but the 49ers could get a late Day 3 pick for him if a team is that interested in him," Tansey remarked.
