On Sunday morning, for the second time in little more than three years, the Dallas Cowboys’ veteran quarterback – after protracted negotiations – extracted a top-of-market contract extension from team owner Jerry Jones. Prescott became the NFL’s first $60 million-per-year man (over four seasons), a significant jump from his closest peers, while pulling down a record $231 million in guarantees … and proving anew that he’s among the finest businessmen – think Kirk Cousins, Darrelle Revis, Drew Brees, Walter Jones or Deion Sanders – to ever wear a professional football uniform.

And while Prescott’s agent, Todd France, deserves ample credit, too, the three-time Pro Bowler handed essentially all of the leverage to his representation, entering the walk year of his expiring four-year, $160 million pact after being the league’s MVP runner-up and posting an NFL-best 36 TD passes in 2023. Prescott, a four-time NFC East champion, also couldn’t be traded or tagged at a time when the apex of the quarterback market was paying $55 million annually.

Count perennial All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner of the Washington Commanders – he’s served as his his own agent for eight years – among the impressed.

‘I think you have to want to do the work and learn. You have to be willing to take risks,” Wagner told USA TODAY Sports, referring to the franchise tag Prescott played on in 2020, when his season was aborted after five games due to a compound fracture to his leg and a dislocated ankle.

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“You have to know your market. If you have those things, then you put yourself into a good position.’

Prescott certainly did, expressing no outward frustration this summer as Jerry Jones dragged his feet and made various comments that left room for interpretation but evidently didn’t bother his biggest star. Prescott himself casually noted how many superstars at his position eventually concluded their careers with different clubs – an outcome he seemed headed for as talks languished.

“I understand the business point blank,” Prescott said Sunday. “The game is a business.”

And legendary entrepreneur Jones cracked at his own game before the Cowboys faced the Browns in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon, opting to shell out his second premium compact in two weeks after making All-Pro CeeDee Lamb the second-best compensated wide receiver (four years, $136 million) in the league behind Justin Jefferson.

‘The NFL, you’re not gonna play in it forever,” San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle told USA TODAY Sports. “I’m happy for guys that make the money they deserve to make. And when you win a lot of football games – when you’re winning all the time – I think you deserve to get paid money.

“Dak’s always had the Cowboys in the playoffs, playing at a high level.”

So, yes, Prescott – knowing when to apply pressure behind the scenes and when to let matters play out around him – won another major fiscal battle three years after his previous arrangement paid better than anyone not named Patrick Mahomes. Yet therein lies an important distinction – and one that may mean Jones will continue to lose the football wars nearly three decades after Dallas last appeared in the Super Bowl or even an NFC title game.

Prescott – and you can hardly blame him – has consistently maximized his value, similar to Cousins and even Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, both proponents of the fully guaranteed contract.

‘I don’t play for the money. I think when you focus and you control what you can control things like that just happen,” Prescott said after Sunday’s 33-17 drubbing of the Browns.

“I don’t care to talk about money. That was the only annoyance in this ordeal is having to answer questions over and over and time and time again about the negotiations. I just wanted that behind me. If it meant me not being here, which I did not want to think about, I said that over and over again. I just wanted to be at peace with whatever the decision was.”

Yet this decision will have ramifications – in fact, it already has. And Prescott will doubtless face more questions about cash flow in the future. Players like Mahomes and Tom Brady, who are increasingly paired exclusively in the NFL’s “GOAT” debate, were certainly handsomely paid – but both signed deals that afforded the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots, respectively, the financial flexibility to upgrade what became and remained championship rosters.

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Like Cousins, Prescott and Lamb have opted for shorter contracts that get them back to the negotiating table more quickly – though that often hinders their teams from making major free agent acquisitions elsewhere. (And we’ve seen the results in the playoffs for Cousins and the Cowboys, unsuccessful trips to the divisional round their high-water marks this century.) That approach may be especially problematic in Dallas, where Jones often finds himself behind the curve when it comes to doling out new deals and could be in a similar situation next year, when pass rusher extraordinaire Micah Parsons must be given the raise he’s already earned.

As for the here and now? The inability to get Prescott and Lamb paid earlier – and they certainly had a role in that – crippled the ability of the Cowboys, NFC East champions two of the past three years and winners of 12 regular-season games in all of those campaigns, to improve or even maintain their roster this offseason. And this is a team that has routinely fallen short in the postseason under head coach Mike McCarthy, including a 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round in January, an outcome that wasn’t even as close as a fairly wide margin indicates.

‘This is the worst offseason I can remember for Jerry as the GM. Like, do we honestly think they got better this offseason? I mean, what did they do?” former NFL quarterback Alex Smith, now an ESPN analyst, said Sunday.

“I know they got these contracts done, but they got (run) out of their own building in the first round of the playoffs and did nothing this offseason – nothing to improve. … I don’t see it. I know they’ve won 12 games the last three years. I don’t see them hitting that this year.’

The Cowboys looked like world-beaters Sunday, albeit against a crippled Cleveland team missing several key starters and against a quarterback, Watson, who has become emblematic of the inherent risk of fully (or heavily) guaranteed pacts after signing his widely scrutinized package. But Jones will be heavily reliant on a ballooning salary cap given how much of it Prescott, Lamb and Parsons will surely eat up in future seasons while aiming for quick turnaround times at a second or third dessert. And don’t forget, Dallas will also have to pay or replace G Zack Martin, DE DeMarcus Lawrence and WR Brandin Cooks, among others, after this season.

“I’ve seen too many very important deals not work out just because of miscalculating the right time, when everyone’s ready to go,” Jones said Sunday.

“My prayer is that we have the ability to put the supporting cast around (Prescott).”

Prayers can pay off. But when it comes to football, history suggest a better plan would be preferable in Dallas.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

Christian McCaffrey didn’t play but the San Francisco 49ers didn’t need their do-everything ball carrier because they have another capable running back in Jordan Mason.

Mason had a career night running for 147 yards on 28 carries in the 49ers’ convincing 32-19 win over the New York Jets.

The 49ers scored on eight straight possessions behind efficient production from Brock Purdy and timely runs by Mason.

Purdy had 231 yards passing. Versatile wideout Deebo Samuel contributed with 77 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

The only good news for the Jets is veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers got through the game healthy. Rodgers and the Jets offense struggled to sustain long drives and had two giveaways in the loss.

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Rodgers was held to 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was subbed out of the game in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco three-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner had a team-high seven tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the win. — Tyler Dragon

49ers vs. Jets final stats

Team stats:

Total yards: 49ers 401, Jets 266
First downs: 49ers 25, Jets 14
Third-down conversions: Jets 6-10, 49ers 6-13
Red zone: Jets 2-2, 49ers 2-5
Turnovers: Jets 2, 49ers 0

Passing:

Brock Purdy: 19/29, 231 yards
Aaron Rodgers: 13/21, 167 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Tyrod Taylor: 6/8, 36 yards, 1 touchdown

Rushing:

Jordan Mason: 28 carries, 147 yards, 1 touchdown
Deebo Samuel: 8 carries, 23 yards, 1 touchdown
Breece Hall: 16 carries, 54 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving:

Jauan Jennings: 5 receptions, 64 yards
Deebo Samuel: 5 receptions, 54 yards
Kyle Juszcyk: 2 receptions, 40 yards
George Kittle: 4 receptions, 40 yards
Allen Lazard: 6 receptions, 89 yards, 2 touchdowns
Garrett Wilson: 6 receptions, 60 yards
Breece Hall: 5 receptions, 39 yards

49ers vs. Jets highlights

Aaron Rodgers’ much-anticipated return didn’t quite go well for the Jets against the 49ers, who — despite playing without 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey — got a big game from backup running back Jordan Mason.

Jets vs. 49ers score

Jets: 19
49ers: 32

First quarter

49ers field goal (10:58) — Jake Moody, 46 yards

Jets touchdown (3:51) — Breece Hall, 3-yard run (Greg Zuerlein extra point)

Second quarter

49ers field goal (14:04) — Jake Moody, 51 yards

49ers touchdown (6:54) — Deebo Samuel, 2-yard run (Jake Moody extra point)

49ers field goal (0:04) — Jake Moody, 31 yards

Third quarter

49ers touchdown (7:42) — Jordan Mason, 5-yard run (Jake Moody extra point)

49ers field goal (3:28) — Jake Moody, 53 yards

Jets touchdown (1:39) — Allen Lazard, 36-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (two-point conversion attempt no good)

Fourth quarter

49ers field goal (9:43) — Jake Moody, 23 yards

49ers field goal (4:20) — Jake Moody, 42 yards

Jets touchdown (1:39) — Allen Lazard, 3-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (two-point conversion attempt no good)

49ers 32, Jets 19: Jets add late score

The Jets accepted their defeat but added a touchdown in the final minute to close the deficit on what was a tough night for the Jets.

With Tyrod Taylor in for Aaron Rodgers, who was pulled out, New York went down the field in 12 plays and capped it off with a pass to Allen Lazard for his second touchdown catch of the night. The offense stayed on the field to get a two-point conversion, but like earlier in the game, failed and the score was 32-19 in favor of San Francisco. — Jordan Mendoza

49ers 32, Jets 13: Jake Moody knocks in sixth field goal; Tyrod Taylor replaces Aaron Rodgers

Have yourself a night Jake Moody.

The 49ers kicker joined the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Chris Boswell as the only kickers to make six field goals in a game this week after he drilled another one against the Jets. Moody connected on a 42-yard field goal for his 18th point of the night and to give San Francisco eight straight possessions with a score.

Jets fail on fourth down conversion

New York appears to be headed toward defeat.

Down by 16 points with less than eight minutes left, the Jets needed to go down the field and get a score to keep hope alive. However, they were forced into a fourth and short near midfield. The offense stayed on the field and Aaron Rodgers tried to hit Garrett Wilson on a slant, but he couldn’t haul it in.

49ers 29, Jets 13: 49ers offense produces more points

The 49ers have now scored on their last seven possessions.

Brock Purdy was efficient throwing the football on the 49ers’ 11-play, 75-yard drive. Purdy completed six passes to help the 49ers get in the red zone.

The 49ers had an opportunity to score a touchdown on fourth-and-1 on New York’s 5-yard line, but Kyle Shanahan elected to play it safe and go for a short 23-yard field goal by Jake Moody to increase their lead to 29-13.

49ers 26, Jets 13: Jets stay alive with big touchdown

Vintage Aaron Rodgers has the Jets holding onto hope.

On a free play thanks to an offside, Rodgers found one of his favorite receivers in Allen Lazard streaking down the field for a 36-yard touchdown pass. It was another example of Rodgers taking advantage of defensive mistakes as it was his 18th career touchdown on a free play, the most in NFL history.

49ers 26, Jets 7: 49ers running up score on Jets

Jake Moody is having himself a night.

Moody drilled a 53-yard field goal to push San Francisco’s lead to 26-7 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

Rushing back Jordan Mason led the 49ers on a an eight-play drive to get the team in field goal range. Mason has a career-high 109 rushing yards in the contest.

Aaron Rodgers picked off

The New York Jets are in danger of being blown out after Aaron Rodgers had a pass tipped and intercepted, giving the 49ers great field position with a commanding lead.

49ers 23, Jets 7: 49ers rolling with another touchdown

No Christian McCaffrey, no problem for the 49ers.

San Francisco opened up the second half with a methodical 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that took more than seven minutes to take a 23-7 lead. 

Brocky Purdy orchestrated the drive to a tee, accounting for 61 of the yards gained on that drive, including a deep pass to Kyle Juszczyk that put San Francisco right near the goalline. Two plays later, Jordan Mason juked out the defenders and ran to his right to punch it in.

49ers 16, Jets 7: 49ers extend lead just before halftime

The 49ers have scored 10 unanswered points and took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

Brock Purdy and the 49ers went on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ended on a 31-yard Jake Moody field goal just before halftime.

Moody has converted three field goals in the game thus far.

Running back Jordan Mason has filled in nicely for Christian McCaffrey. Mason produced 11 carries for 74 rushing yards in the first half.

Mason and Deebo Samuel have carried the 49ers’ offense for the most part. Samuel’s tallied 38 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.

The Jets had two straight three-and-outs to end the first half.

Aaron Rodgers is 7-of-11 passing for 64 yards.

49ers 13, Jets 7: 49ers retake lead on Deebo Samuel TD run

Jordan Mason and Deebo Samuel powered the 49ers on a go-ahead 12-play, 67-yard touchdown drive.

Mason tallied three carries for 20 yards and Samuel, who is lining up at receiver and running back in the game, had a 2-yard touchdown run to cap off San Francisco’s scoring drive.

The 49ers have a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

Jets 7, 49ers 6: Jake Moody hits 51-yard field goal early in second quarter

The 49ers went on a nine-play, 37-yard drive to get into Jets territory. But San Francisco ran a reverse to Deebo Samuel on third down that lost three yards. Samuel was lucky to just lose three yards. He juked multiple Jets defenders just to get close to the line of scrimmage.

The 49ers had to settle for a 51-yard field goal by Jake Moody to cut their deficit to 7-6 with 14:04 remaining the first half.

Jets 7, 49ers 3: Aaron Rodgers-Garrett Wilson connection leads to touchdown

Nobody may be happier for Aaron Rodgers’ return than Garrett Wilson.

After dealing with poor quarterback play in his first two professional seasons, Wilson connected with his quarterback several times on the third drive of the day that ended with a touchdown.

On a third down play early in the drive, Rodgers threw a signature dart to Wilson that showed off the playmaking of the two stars to keep the offense on the field. They connected four times on that drive for 45 yards that got New York inside the five-yard line. There, Breece Hall ran it in from three yards out for the touchdown to give his squad a 7-3 lead. 

Aaron Rodgers makes it to five snaps

Aaron Rodgers has already played more snaps than all of last season. 

He lasted only four snaps in the 2023 season, but made it to a fifth on the Jets third drive of the day. The result? An unimpressive rush by Breece Hall for no gain.

49ers 3, Jets 0: Fred Warner forced fumble leads to field goal

Star inside linebacker Fred Warner is already making an impact.

The three-time first-team All-Pro jarred the football loose from Jets running back Breece Hall and recovered the football on the Jets’ 32-yard line.

What time is 49ers vs. Jets?

49ers vs. Jets TV channel

TV channel: ABC | ESPN | ESPN2

ESPN again is the broadcast home of ‘Monday Night Football.’ The longtime team of Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color) will be on the call, with Lisa Salters adding reports from the sideline.

Viewers can also tune to ESPN2 for the ‘ManningCast’ featuring Peyton and Eli Manning.

49ers vs. Jets live stream

Live stream: ESPN+, Fubo TV

For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.

ESPN+, the proprietary streaming service of ESPN, will also carry the game.

Jason Kelce has hilarious ‘Monday Night Football’ debut

Not only is Monday the return of Aaron Rodgers, but it’s also the debut of Jason Kelce on “Monday Night Countdown.”

The former Philadelphia Eagles center is part of ESPN’s coverage of ‘Monday Night Football’ this season, and he started off in a fashion only he could do.

Jets vs. 49ers inactives: Is Christian McCaffrey playing tonight?

The San Francisco 49ers ruled McCaffrey inactive before the team’s season opener against the New York Jets because of calf and Achilles injuries. 

McCaffrey was listed on the team’s injury report as “questionable.’ The running back has been dealing with a calf injury since early August. But many anticipated the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year to be available for the team’s highly anticipated season debut versus Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

Running back Jordan Mason is slated to replace McCaffrey in the 49ers’ backfield.

Jets’ inactive players:

OL Max Mitchell
RB Israel Abanikanda
OT Carter Warren
TE Brenden Bates
DL Eric Watts
DL Leonard Taylor
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse

49ers’ inactive players:

QB Joshua Dobbs
RB Christian McCaffrey
CB Darrell Luter Jr.
S Talanoa Hufanga
DL Yetur Gross-Matos
LB Dee Winters
OL Ben Bartch

Jordan Mason stats

Jordan Mason, who is expected to get the bulk of the carries out of the San Francisco 49ers’ backfield with Christian McCaffrey inactive, is entering his third NFL season.

Mason — who went undrafted out of Georgia Tech — has compiled 464 yards and four touchdowns rushing in his two NFL seasons. Mason had 206 yards and three touchdowns rushing during the 2023 season.

49ers vs. Jets: Predictions and picks

Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ staff picks for this game:

Lorenzo Reyes: 49ers
Tyler Dragon: 49ers
Richard Morin: 49ers
Jarrett Bell: Jets
Safid Deen: 49ers
Nate Davis: Jets
Chris Bumbaca: Jets
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Jets

Jets vs. 49ers odds

The 49ers are favorites to defeat the Jets, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024.

Spread: 49ers (-4)
Moneyline: 49ers (-210); Jets (+170)
Over/under: 43

How to watch 49ers vs Jets on MNF amid DirecTV-Disney dispute

With DirecTV and Disney still bickering like an old married couple, DirecTV customers looking to watch ‘Monday Night Football’ between the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets on ABC Monday are in for a rude awakening when they realize DirecTV no longer carries that channel.

This predicament leaves NFL fans with quite the conundrum. How are they supposed to watch the NFL’s Week 1 conclusion? Well, there is a multitude of ways to get your NFL fix Monday night without DirecTV. — Jon Hoefling

Why is Haason Reddick holding out, and how much is it costing him?

The New York Jets finally have Aaron Rodgers healthy and are looking to blossom into a legitimate contender in the AFC.

Still, when they open their season Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, they will be missing a key piece they envisioned being part of their program. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Haason Reddick has been on a holdout since the Jets traded for him in March, skipping all mandatory offseason sessions, including training camp. — Lorenzo Reyes

Aaron Rodgers documentary set to stream on Netflix in December

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is returning to the NFL spotlight this season. Now, he’ll have a Netflix documentary to add to the buzz. 

Netflix announced Monday a new docuseries, titled “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma,” will follow Rodgers’ life off the field and his comeback journey after injury. The three episodes will premiere on the streaming service Dec. 17 and are produced by Religion of Sports, Skydance Sports and NFL Films. — Carrie McDonald

Jets vs. 49ers: A history lesson

Monday night’s matchup is the 15th all-time between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers hold an 11-3 series edge, including winning the most recent matchup in 2020, 31-13. The two teams’ first-ever matchup came during the 1971 season, a 24-21 49ers victory. The starting quarterbacks for the 49ers and Jets that day in 1971 for you trivia buffs: Joe Namath for the Jets and John Brodie for the 49ers.

For those who enjoy testing their NFL wits with Pro Football Reference’s immaculate grids, there have been a number of notable players who played for both teams. The most famous is Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott. Frank Gore, the NFL’s No. 3 all-time rushing yardage leader, also played for both the 49ers and Jets. Both Lott and Gore played their final seasons with the Jets after much more celebrated tenures with the 49ers. — Jim Reineking

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill repeatedly mentioned a recent knee surgery to police officers while he was detained and forced to the ground, and said he wasn’t going to be able to play in the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to the pain.

Body cam footage of the incident released Monday night showed Hill telling officers several times he just had surgery on his knee as officers forcibly sat him down after pulling him out of his vehicle.

‘What a coincidence. Did you just have surgery on your ears when we told you to put your window down?” one officer told Hill.

As he remained in custody, Hill can be heard saying he was hurting.

‘I’m not playing today bruh, because that dude (expletive) my knee up,’ Hill said. ‘Like he really tackled me on my knee on this damn cement, bruh.’

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When later asked by an officer to describe what happened, Hill added, ‘I never got out of control or nothing. But then they pulled me out the car, slammed me on my knee and he (expletive) my knee up again, dog.’

What we know about Tyreek Hill knee injury

It is unknown what type of surgery Hill had on his knee or what it was for. During the 2023 season, he missed one game as he dealt with an ankle injury.

During the incident on Sunday, Hill asked several times if he could stand because he had tendonitis. 

USA TODAY Sports has reached out to the Miami Dolphins for details on Hill’s knee injury. 

Did Tyreek Hill’s knee injury impact performance?

Even though Hill said he wouldn’t be able to play in the Week 1 game, he still suited up for Miami and didn’t have an injury designation added prior to kickoff.

If his knee was hurting, he didn’t let it show during the game. He had seven catches for 130 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception that showed off Hill’s speed, showing no signs of slowing down.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been sued again, this time by a woman in Texas who says he sexually assaulted her in October 2020 after he requested a massage from her at her apartment.

It marks the 27th lawsuit against him by women who have described a similar pattern of sexual misconduct arising out of massage requests. Of the 26 previous cases, 23 were settled out of court in 2022. The other remaining three include one that was filed in October 2022 and is still pending, one that was withdrawn shortly after it was filed in March 2021 and another that is pending but dormant.

The new case was filed Monday by “Jane Doe,” a single mother who said the incident happened on a first date at her apartment in Harris County, Texas, in October 2020.

What does the new lawsuit against Deshaun Watson say?

After inviting him in, her lawsuit said she went in the bathroom to finish putting on makeup. Then when she came out of the bathroom, her lawsuit said she found Watson naked on her bed, lying face-down on his stomach.

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“While Jane Doe stood there in shock, Watson turned his head and aggressively insisted that she massage him, gesturing to his buttocks,” states the new lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY Sports.

Saying she was terrified because she was in her apartment with a much larger man, she said she tried to appease him by rubbing his back. Her lawsuit states Watson then turned over, revealing an erection, this time demanding she massage him from his knees to his groin.

“Confused and scared, she reiterated to Watson that she wasn’t a masseuse,” the lawsuit stated. “Watson asked her what she wanted to do instead. Before Jane Doe could answer, Watson grabbed Jane Doe’s leg and positioned her so that she was laying down. Watson then partially disrobed Jane Doe and penetrated her vagina without consent, implicit or explicit. Jane Doe felt paralyzed, unsure if she should risk her safety by trying to stop Watson or endure his assault.”

Why is this new lawsuit being filed now?

Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, wasn’t immediately available for comment.It’s not clear if the woman contacted police, but her lawsuit states why she was hesitant to do so. It also explains why this lawsuit is being filed now. There is a five-year statute of limitations for her claims.

Her lawsuit states she was in shock from the encounter, knew who Watson was and was worried if she reported the incident that she would be subjected to personal attacks and humiliation. After other women came forward with public lawsuits in March 2021, her suit states she was encouraged but then saw how they were treated by Watson’s defense team and the public.

“And, worse, criminal authorities refused to hold Watson accountable for his reprehensible conduct,” her suit states. “Jane Doe waited. When she finally garnered the courage to come forward, she first attempted to resolve these issues with Watson without the filing of a public lawsuit. Those efforts failed.”

The NFL declined comment

Watson, 28, never was arrested or charged with a crime for these cases. Hardin previously said Watson sometimes had consensual sexual encounters during massage sessions but denied wrongdoing. The NFL did its own investigation and ultimately suspended him 11 games in 2022. It’s not clear if this new lawsuit could lead to any new discipline since the alleged incident happened before his suspension.

Of the 27 lawsuits, 25 describe incidents that took place in 2020, when Watson was playing for the Houston Texans. The other two describe incidents that took place in early 2021.

The NFL declined comment on the new civil case.

Of the 26 previous cases, only two formally accused him of sexual assault. The others describe other forms of sexual misconduct such as forced touching.

The new case was filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who has represented all but one of the women who have filed lawsuits in Harris County, Texas.

“This is an extremely serious matter,” Buzbee said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “We intend to pursue this case with the same aggressiveness with which we pursued the others. We want a jury trial. As far as any specific comments on the facts of the case, we believe the lawsuit speaks for itself.”

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason made the most of his first ever NFL start. The third-year running back shined in front of a national audience on Monday night.

Mason had the busiest and most productive night of his career. The running back compiled a career-high 28 carries for a lifetime best 147 yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ 32-19 victory against the New York Jets.

Mason started off the game strong running efficiently on zone runs. He had eclipsed his single-game career-high by halftime when he entered the locker room with 74 rushing yards. His previous single-game career-high was 69 rushing yards.

The 2022 undrafted running back out of Georgia Tech was seen postgame embracing his mom before he was congratulated by teammates for his performance. He deserved the praise as he helped the 49ers start the season strong against a stout Jets defense.  

‘I think (Jordan Mason) did a good job coming in,’ 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said. ‘Obviously, Christian (McCaffrey) is the best in the league at running back and what he does. I’m not taking anything away from that. But I think (Jordan Mason) did a good job of coming in and filling in his void and doing his job allowing other guys to get open and allow us to run our offense.’

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Mason got his first career start after star running back Christian McCaffrey was a surprising scratch. The 49ers ruled McCaffrey inactive before the team’s opener against the Jets because of calf and Achilles injuries. 

McCaffrey was listed on the team’s injury report as “questionable.’ The running back has been dealing with a calf injury since early August. But many anticipated the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year to be available for the team’s highly anticipated season debut versus Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

McCaffrey has registered 2,205 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, 1,028 receiving yards and 11 touchdown catches in 27 regular-season games with the 49ers. The 49ers acquired McCaffrey in a 2022 blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers.

The 49ers will need McCaffrey healthy this year as they hope to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. But they found out in Week 1 that they have another playmaker on offense in Mason.