Raheem Mostert will go down in 49ers lore as something of a shooting star. He burnt bright and fast and then he was gone.
Now, that is understating his special teams impact quite a bit; he was outstanding in that regard, and it’s what earned him a three-year deal before he eventually worked his way into a role as the team’s lead back. But it’s fair to say he’ll be remembered more for his stint of brilliant rushing.
Mostert was outstanding in the 2019 season and famously rushed for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship to punch the 49ers’ ticket to the Super Bowl.
After the Super Bowl loss, though, his time with the 49ers took a turn, and injuries sidelined him for most of the next two seasons, playing in just nine of a possible 36 games.
He became a free agent after this season, in which he underwent season-ending surgery for chipped cartilage in his knee after the opener, and has now opted to join Mike McDaniel with the Dolphins, per his agent Brett Tessler.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, it’s a one-year, $3.125 million deal.
It’s a price which firmly fits in the prove-it category. It also has to be said that at that price, the 49ers could have matched the offer. Perhaps there was an understanding Miami was willing to go even higher where San Francisco was not.
Either way, the 49ers were not willing to pay that price or go higher, and Mostert, who was arguably a top-10 back down the stretch of the 2019 season and 2020 when he was on the field, will reunite with McDaniel.
This leaves San Francisco’s running back room as Elijah Mitchell, JaMycal Hasty and Trey Sermon. Trenton Cannon, the special teamer, signed earlier in the day with the Tennessee Titans, and Jeff Wilson Jr. is a free agent. More moves will be necessary to fill out the 49ers backfield.