San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason may have to go for some extra media training after Monday night.
Mason, 25, replaced star RB Christian McCaffrey on Monday who was ruled out an hour before kickoff because of a sore calf and Achilles tendon that has hampered him all summer.
And the young running back did much more than just fill in for McCaffrey, as he ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ 32-19 win over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets.
But with his new-found fame, also comes questions from the media, and one may have tripped Mason up.
After the game, Mason was interviewed by ESPN’s Lisa Salters where she asked the running back when he knew he was starting in place of McCaffrey.
“Maybe Friday, Friday night,” Mason said. “Something like that.”
His comment quickly made noise across the NFL landscape as many questioned why if he knew he was starting on Friday, McCaffrey was only ruled out an hour before the game?
McCaffrey was listed as questionable heading into the game.
In the post-game presser, Mason was once again asked when he knew he was starting, and changed his answer and his tone.
“That question right there is why I’m mad,” Mason told reporters. “That’s why I don’t like talking to the media. Because you say one thing wrong and then, you know. I don’t know, just skip that question.”
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan denied telling Mason that he was going to start after the game.
“I never told Jordan he was going to start,” Shanahan told reporters. “I told him he had to be ready a bunch.”
We may never know the full truth, as the 49ers will certainly be in full cleanup mode and try and de-escalate the situation.
Whether the NFL looks into the situation due to Mason’s comments remains to be seen.