49ers insider flames Kyle Shanahan for trading Jordan Mason to Vikings - "I can't explain the logic"

The San Francisco 49ers made yet another roster move as Kyle Shanahan's team traded running Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings, with a sixth-round pick going to San Francisco and a swap of late-round picks.

The move caught many by surprise. Mason started six games for the 49ers in 2024. When superstar running back Christian McCaffrey was out of action, he was the one leading San Francisco's backfield, amassing 789 yards and three touchdowns for an excellent average per carry of 5.2 yards.

As he received the second-round restricted tag, there weren't many analysts expecting a deal to go through. San Francisco beat reporter Tim Kawakami is one of those. He said he couldn't see the logic behind the deal in what has been a challenging offseason for the 49ers:

Mason is not the only running back San Francisco lost during the offseason. Elijah Mitchell also left the franchise as a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Was Jordan Mason a free agent? 49ers tendered running back with a second-round RFA

Before a deal with the Minnesota Vikings was struck, the franchise designated him as a restricted free agent, using the second-round tender on Mason. This meant that, if any team reached an agreement with him and the 49ers declined to match the salary, they would receive a second-round tender.

Mason was already considered the RB2 on San Francisco's roster, taking the spot over from Mitchell prior to the latter's season-ending injury.

According to the terms of the second-round tender, he would have a fully guaranteed salary of $5.3 million in the 2025 season. However, with the trade, he also signed a two-year, $7 million fully guaranteed contract extension with the Vikings. The deal can rise to $12 million through incentives.

In Minnesota, Mason will be the backup for Aaron Jones, who also signed a contract extension with the Vikings worth two years and $20 million guaranteed. In 2024, Jones had 1,138 rushing yards, five touchdowns and an average of 4.5 yards per carry.