© Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
About two weeks ago, Raheem Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler, announced his client was requesting a trade from the 49ers. Tessler cited the fact that Mostert was being paid like a special-teamer, not a running back, and there had been no productive discussions with the organization on a pay raise. Mostert, who led all NFL running backs with a 5.6 yards per carry last year during the regular season, will have a $3.16 million cap hit this season per OverTheCap, the second year of a three-year, $8.7 million deal he signed prior to the 2019 season.
Tessler told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Mostert wanted to be paid in line with Tevin Coleman, who, after a promising start to the season, performed dismally for most of the second half of the year and will make $4.87 million in 2020. Both Mostert and Coleman had the exact same number of regular season carries, with 137. Mostert had 772 regular season rushing yards with 8 rushing TD and that 5.6 yard per carry average compared to Coleman’s 544 yards, 6 TD and 4.0 yards per carry.
Unfortunately for Mostert, he’s left with little leverage, being 28 years old, in the second year of a three-year deal, playing at a replaceable position, with limited trade value, on a team which has replaced running backs with brutal efficiency. Per Rapoport, Mostert had a conversation with a “high-ranking member” of the 49ers to “clear the air and get on the same page.”
What does that mean? Possibly nothing, possibly something.
Olive branch? #49ers RB Raheem Mostert spoke to a high-ranking member of the SF organization to clear the air and get on the same page moving forward, sources say. Asked about the situation being worked out, agent @TesslerSports said, “Hopefully that’ll be the case.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 20, 2020
Looked at through one lens, this might suggest Mostert could report to camp, while his agent still tries to negotiate with the 49ers, perhaps for more guaranteed money in his contract, added incentives, or earlier guarantee dates. Of course, the 49ers have no obligation to give him any of that, so Mostert is really at the mercy of the team and whatever his trade value is. Given the myriad star free agent running backs next season, it’s hard to see how he returns a substantial trade haul.