It's not a move that earned a ton of headlines in the NFL offseason.
But the San Francisco 49ers' decision to trade running back Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings could have major implications on the NFC title chase.
Mason is that good, and RB is such a fickle position, that the fact that the 'Niners no longer have him and the Vikings do is a crucial reality.
The teams agreed to the trade in March, and with the 2025 season here, it's worth revisiting.
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Jordan Mason trade details
The 49ers and Vikings made this trade on March 18:
- Vikings get: RB Jordan Mason, 2025 6th-round pick
- 49ers get: 2025 5th-round pick, 2026 6th-round pick
The 49ers used this year's fifth-rounder to take safety Marques Sigle. The Vikings used that sixth-rounder in a package with other picks to move up earlier in the draft and get wide receiver Tai Felton.
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Why did the 49ers trade Jordan Mason to the Vikings?
The San Francisco 49ers would've had to pay Jordan Mason $5.35 million this season.
Instead, they opted to get that money off the books.
They were showing a vote of confidence in second-year RB Isaac Guerendo as the backup to Christian McCaffrey.
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Why did the Vikings trade for Jordan Mason?
The Minnesota Vikings wanted Jordan Mason to give them improved depth at RB.
In 2024, Aaron Jones came over from the Green Bay Packers and had a career-high 306 touches, coming in his age-30 season.
It's not clear how much Jones will have left in the tank, and it makes sense to reduce his workload this season.
Enter Mason, who went from an undrafted player to a key contributor to the 49ers. He should work out well for Minnesota.
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