© Kyle Terada | 2020 Jan 19
Not unlike his performances with the 49ers last season, Raheem Mostert’s trade request came out of nowhere on Wednesday. One year into a deal that pays him a little over $2 million per year through 2021, one of the breakout stars of the 2019 season wants more money, and believes he’ll get it elsewhere.
49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco isn’t so sure. He joined Murph & Mac on Thursday and broke down the situation thoroughly. Here’s his comments in their entirety:
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anything quite like this, because he was signed for a deal that compensated him pretty well for a special teams player, but then after one of the three seasons for which he signed, he became not a special teams player — he rarely played special teams late in the season — he became their go-to running back. He became a guy who set the franchise record for rushing yards in a game, 220, and it just so happened to be in the NFC Championship Game.
“But I know the 49ers don’t want to set that precedent of ‘if you sign a multi-year contract and after one year we rip it up because you were more productive than we thought you’d be.’ That’s a dangerous precedent to set for the 49ers.
“On the other hand, you totally understand where Brett Tessler, his agent, and Raheem Mostert are coming from. Mostert is 28 years old, this is his opportunity to cash in, because if he plays the rest of his deal, two more seasons, he’s going to be 30 years old. Who’s going to pay much money for a 30-year-old running back? That position especially. I just don’t see the 49ers budging on this.
“Raheem Mostert is set to make the most money he’s made in his career this upcoming season, is it below market value? Well for a guy who did what he did late in the season and into the postseason, yes it is, but it’s also a position where the Shanahans, not just Kyle but Mike before him, have always had running backs who produced.
“Then it becomes what will Mostert and Tessler do? Do they hold out at training camp? Do they really force the trade? The other element of this is is there a team that is going to pay him the money they’re seeking? Not only that but pay him that money and give up a draft pick that the 49ers deem reasonable.
“There are a lot of moving parts here. I just don’t see a scenario where Raheem Mostert gets what he wants out of this.”
Listen to the interview below.