49ers news: Raheem Mostert requests a trade, per agent
The 49ers and Raheem Mostert seem to be in a contract stand-off.
In a shocking development, it is being reported by San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert‘s agent, Brett Tessler, he and his client are requesting a trade away from the Niners.
According to Tessler, this is a result of “months of unproductive contract talks” between the club and the 2019 yards-per-carry leader.
And the team’s postseason standout hero, too.
After months of unproductive talks with the 49ers about fairly adjusting Raheem Mostert's contract (which paid him for special teams) we have requested a trade. Disappointing that it would come to this for a guy who led all NFL RBs in YPC & helped lead them to the Super Bowl.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) July 8, 2020
This surely comes as a shock to fans as Mostert was seen as one of the 49ers’ most important players in the 2019 Super Bowl run. His explosive 5.6 yards per carry led the NFL among players with 100-plus carries.
It is also being reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network that Mostert is looking to be the highest-paid tailback on the team, ultimately making more than a player who is beneath him on the depth chart, Tevin Coleman, who is making $4.55 million in the 2020 season.
Though it is a fair request by Mostert to be compensated at the level of a teammate who he clearly outproduced this past season, it is a bit surprising that he is acting so abruptly by requesting a trade away from the team that essentially made him who he is today. It’s easy to forget the undrafted running back was known as an NFL journeyman and found little success outside of San Francisco during his five-year tenure in the NFL, playing for five teams during that time.
It will be interesting to see where he lands if he is traded by the Niners. They will surely be in a tight spot if they are forced to move him as they recently traded Matt Breida to the Miami Dolphins, leaving them with a running back room consisting only of Coleman, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson. Coleman is a serviceable No. 2 option, but he is not an ideal lead back at this point in his career, while McKinnon is a strong pass catcher but has not been healthy since the Niners signed him in 2018.
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Hopefully, the 49ers front office and Mostert reach an agreement that’s beneficial to both parties as losing him would definitely hurt the team’s offensive potency this coming season. At the same time, Mostert needs to be reasonable and accept he only has one season of proven success under his belt.