Sunday will be a reunion for a host of former 49ers players and coaches, but it’s off to a bit of a tempestuous start following some comments from Raheem Mostert about his former team.
Mostert was quoted by Tyler Dunne saying that the Dolphins have “way more talent,” with one comment seemingly throwing shade at Garoppolo.
“We have a quarterback who can actually sling it,” Mostert said.
Deebo Samuel responded on Monday after seeing comments, telling Mostert to “be real.”
Mostert said Sunday night that he wasn’t criticizing Garoppolo, but rather praising Tua Tagavailoa. He didn’t claim he was misquoted, but misrepresented.
Mostert’s main issue, it seems, was with the way the 49ers handled him following a litany of injuries in his last two years with the team.
He missed 8 games in 2020 and was sidelined for the remainder of the 2021 season after his second carry.
But sitting out 2021 was his choice, per Dunne’s piece. He seemed to see what Elijah Mitchell was doing and chose to remain sidelined.
“It isn’t right,” Mostert says. “And it’s up to the player to step up and say, ‘This isn’t right. I don’t think this is the best of my interest.’ Sometimes, you don’t get that with players. But, for me, that was my case. I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew exactly how I’d handle the situation. I knew exactly — coming off rehab — what I needed to do in order to get back on the field.”
He so many nicks throughout his turbulent NFL career, Mostert wanted to be as healthy as he possibly could. Knee injuries can render running backs sad, slow reincarnations of what they once were. You’re often deemed damaged goods. Replaceable.
Sent to the Goodwill bin in favor of someone younger, healthier, with much less mileage. Mostert weighed all pros and all cons when he decided to sit out the season. He knew how much he was risking — the decision absolutely pissed the 49ers off — but he also knew how hard he would work.
When free agency hit, he believes the 49ers used his decision against him.
‘Yeah, they did,’ Mostert says. ‘They definitely did. I moved on from the situation. I have the opportunity to see them.’”
Before the 2020 season, Mostert and the 49ers agreed to a reworked deal after requesting a trade. He was initially signed to a three-year, $8.7 million deal as a special teams ace before working his way into a starting role. The reworked deal reportedly gave him up to $2.75 million in bonus and incentives but didn’t pay him near the $4.55 million figure that Tevin Coleman was getting, and which Mostert sought.
It’s an interesting opinion from Mostert to sit out the 2021 season — admitting he could have returned — and criticize the 49ers for holding that decision against him.