San Francisco 49ers running backs Christian McCaffrey And Isaac Guerendo had good news about their season-ending injuries and both appear to be on track to be ready for the start of the 2025 season. That doesn't make the upcoming decision on Jordan Mason this offseason any easier.
Mason, a 2022 undrafted rookie for San Francisco, is hit due to restricted free agency when the new league year begins.
That means the 49ers can either give him one of three restricted free agent tenders or choose to non-tender him, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The latter of these two options is probably off the table. San Francisco won't let Mason walk for nothing after his breakout performance in 2024 when he rushed for a career-high 789 yards in 12 games. Which tender they give him will be a more difficult decision.
McCaffrey will be back as the No. 1 RB next season. Guerendo coped well towards the end of the year when McCaffrey and Mason were both out, but also struggled with a number of injury problems as he finally started getting regular touches of the ball. It's obvious that the 49ers want to keep Mason, knowing he can be extremely productive in their offense.
A first-round tender would cost the 49ers estimated $7,279,000 for the 2025 season according to Over the Cap. The second round tender is estimated at $5,217,000 in 2025. The right of first refusal tender is valued at $3,185,000.
These are all one-year contracts with a full guarantee.
Mason would have the option to find a deal on the open market after receiving a tender, but the 49ers would be able to match any offer he received. If they make a first- or second-round tender, the acquiring team would also owe the 49ers a selection in that round of the 2025 draft.
Chances are good that a second-round tender would be enough to deter other teams from pursuing Mason as a free agent. He's a good player, but giving up a second-round pick to give a long-term contract to a former undrafted rookie RB who struggled with a few different injuries last year is something modern NFL front offices probably don't like doing would.
A second-round tender would make Mason the 18th highest-paid RB in the NFL based on average annual value. A first-round tender would make him the 14th highest-paid RB in the game. Both grades are significant for a player who could start the season as San Francisco's No. 3 RB.
The question for the 49ers is whether keeping Mason at $5.217 million or more fits with their current financial situation. They could go the right-of-refusal route to make his salary more palatable (27th in AAV among RBs), but it would also make it easier for another team to come in with a multi-year deal.
Given their need for quality RB depth during Shanahan's tenure, it seems like retaining Mason should be a priority. The right of first refusal seems to make the most financial sense. This also makes it easiest for an RB-needy team to pounce on a long-term contract that puts the 49ers in a bind.
San Francisco could use a first- or second-round tender to keep teams away, but that also comes with greater financial consequences.
The 49ers may have higher priorities than their offensive backfield this offseason, but how they handle Mason could be one of their more difficult maneuvers.
