5 potential 49ers free agents we will miss (if they aren’t re-signed)
By Peter Panacy
49ers free-agent No. 3: Running back Raheem Mostert
Fans probably got used to the idea of Raheem Mostert not being part of the offense after he suffered a season-ending knee injury way back in Week 1, opening the door for 2021 rookie running back Elijah Mitchell to take over as the featured element on the ground last season.
Unfortunately, Mostert has dealt with a lengthy injury history, and that might be reason enough alone why the 49ers don’t entertain the idea of bringing him back.
Although it’s also just as plausible they do, should the contract numbers add up.
The Niners aren’t averse to spending money on running backs (see Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon as prior examples), but the real question is whether or not they’d want to re-sign a player who’ll turn 30 years old before the start of the regular season and has a sizable injury history.
Should Mostert seek what could be his final NFL contract elsewhere, fans will still always remember how he ran rampant over the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFC Championship game to the tune of 220 yards and four touchdowns, guaranteeing San Francisco a trip to the Super Bowl that season.
That game might go down as one of the best individual performances by a player in 49ers postseason history.