Raheem Mostert: How Many Teams Has The Running Back Played For?

Raheem Mostert went through four NFL teams with multiple practice squad stints before landing with the Niners and heading to the Super Bowl. The young running back is one of many surprises that have emerged during this magical run for the San Francisco 49ers. Some may say he hasn’t gone down a long road because he’s only been in the NFL since 2015, but his journey has taken him through numerous cities and included stints with multiple teams.

In 2018, Mostert saw the most extended action of his NFL career as he had 34 attempts in nine games for a grand total of 261 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He had six receptions for 25 yards to pad his stats a little bit, but it still wasn’t much of a season to brag about.

Anyone who has watched the San Francisco 49ers this season has seen that they’ve had a bit of a running back by committee campaign going. Three players have more than 500 yards on the ground, with two more adding more than 100 yards each, but the backfield has been turned over to Mostert.

Again, many may find it odd that people are using the word “finally” for a player who is only five years out of Purdue. Well, all you have to do is look at the NFL journey that Raheem Mostert has traveled to know that he’s more than paid his dues for his spot.

Raheem Mostert Has Played For More Teams Than He’s Had Seasons In The NFL

Mostert played a full four years at Purdue and put up some decent numbers for the Boilermakers, but he went undrafted in 2015. He ended up signing as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles and had one of the best preseasons of any player in the entire NFL.

He ended up being cut and signed to the Eagles’ practice squad, but all hope was not lost. The Miami Dolphins signed him to their active roster a week later but released him by mid-October. Mostert didn’t clear waivers as the Baltimore Ravens signed him in less than 24 hours.

By mid-December, the Ravens waived Raheem Mostert, who didn’t clear waivers again as the Cleveland Browns signed him. The running back made it through the rest of the season primarily as a kick returner before being cut by the Browns in September and signed by the New York Jets.

Mostert never even made it off the Jets’ practice squad before being released. He spent a bit of time with the Chicago Bears before finally landing with the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad in late 2016.

Four teams and four practice squads (two with the Bears) in less than two years and Raheem Mostert had a massive career with very few stats to show for it.

Mostert’s Great Season Really Didn’t Start Until Week 10

After finally signing with the 49ers, Raheem Mostert played in just one game for the team in 2016. He jumped up to 11 games in 2017 but only had six carries for 30 total yards to show for his efforts. The year 2018 looked promising, but a forearm fracture landed him on injured reserve in early November.

Last year, 2019, appeared as if it was going the same way for Mostert, and that was kind of slow. He had some big games on the ground against the Steelers and Bengals, but only one rushing touchdown and one score through the air in the first nine contests of the year, per ESPN.

In the last six games of the regular season, Mostert didn’t go without finding the endzone. In the season finale, he scored twice against the Seattle Seahawks to help the 49ers clinch the NFC West and the No. 1 overall seed in the conference.

Raheem Mostert’s best was yet to come, though, as he scored four rushing touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game. Some may say that his journey finally reached its peak with that performance, but the Kansas City Chiefs still await San Francisco in the Super Bowl.

After a long journey through the NFL in a short amount of time, Raheem Mostert has found his home with the San Francisco 49ers, and they’re just getting started.