The 49ers superstar has a chance to set a franchise record out of nowhere

The San Francisco 49ers have some outstanding running backs in their organization. Undrafted third-year running back Jordan Mason is on the verge of doing something none of these great RBs have done.

Mason ended the 49ers’ Week 4 win against the New England Patriots with a 25-yard run. That gave him 123 yards rushing on the day, marking his third 100-yard game in four contests. He had 147 yards in the season opener against the New York Jets, then 100 in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

By surpassing the 100-yard mark in Week 4, he tied the 49ers’ franchise record for most 100-yard games in the first five games of a season. With Game 5 coming up Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, he could become the first 49ers player with four 100-yard rushing games in the team’s first five games.

Christian McCaffrey did it three times last season. He was the first to achieve this since Billy Kilmer in 1961. Joe Perry became the first 49er to record more than 100 rushing yards in the first five games, in 1953.

For Mason, however, there is another layer.

The 2022 undrafted free agent ties Steelers RB Willie Parker for the most 100-yard rushing games by an undrafted player in the first five games of a season.

While winning five games is fun, the 49ers have been scoring well beyond the first third of the season. The bigger question will be whether Mason can maintain his success despite such an enormous workload. If they end up needing him for the entire season, it might be worth sacrificing some stats to keep him healthy.