The San Francisco 49ers late Saturday night trade of Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings can only mean one thing.

It must mean the 49ers coaching and training staffs know something positive about Christian McCaffrey’s health.

Well, that and the Niners are stripping down any pricy excess from the roster. But still …

CMC must be ready to go at full speed once the season begins. If the team was willing to part with Mason, who spelled McCaffrey last season while the Stanford graduate was out with an injury, then he must be ready for offseason training activities.

McCaffrey missed the first six games last season with Achilles tendonitis. The tendon was not torn, but it bothered him nonetheless. He then suffered a knee injury upon his return and missed 10 games after being placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Mason filled in admirably for McCaffrey as he rushed for 789 yards on 153 carries. He also scored four touchdowns. McCaffrey, by contrast, only had 50 carries for 202 yards and no scores. It was a dramatic difference from the 2023 season when he led the league in total touchdowns.

McCaffrey must be ready to go. 49ers John Lynch told reporters last week he was confident McCaffrey was healthy and ready to participate in the latter portion of offseason activities.

“He’s doing great. Christian’s doing really well, and I think he was really frustrated with the way last season went,” Lynch noted. “(He’s) doing everything that is possible, as he did in preparation for last year. We’re hoping CMC is out there and going to have a tremendous year. If he is healthy, he will have a tremendous year. That’s just what he does.”