We are still early in training camp. It’s July. The San Francisco 49ers held out several prominent players during their first padded practice on Monday.
A door opens when players like Christian McCaffrey, Nick Bosa, and Trent Williams have their scheduled rest days. There’s a legitimate race for the spot behind McCaffrey between Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason. Heading into the season during the past couple of seasons, we could pencil in Mitchell as RB2. But the tide is changing, and Mason is taking full advantage of his opportunities.
Here’s what McCaffrey said about Mason late last week after practice:
“He’s improved so much from the first time that I’ve met him.