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If you open the Notes app on San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert's phone, you'll see a list of six NFL teams. They are the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those are the six teams that gave up on him before he signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
"Always there (on my phone)," Mostert recently told Jordan Schultz of ESPN. "It's never leaving until I can finally write it off."
What does it mean to finally write it off? Mostert paused for a second to think about that question from Schultz. His mind possibly thinking about those six teams and how being cut by each has motivated him during his NFL journey.
Mostert entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Purdue in 2015. It's a path that, for so many, leads to an early exit from the league.
That hasn't been the case for Mostert.
Everyone took notice of the running back last season, especially after his 29-carry, 220-yard, and four-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
"It's funny because my mindset, even though I've missed so many years so far of getting stats in my books, my mindset is always going to be if I don't mean the Hall of Fame, then I'm going to be more agitated with myself that I didn't do enough," Mostert continued.
"And me missing out (on) so many years definitely is going to take an effect to that. But if I do make the Hall of Fame and all that type of stuff, and that's my attitude, then that's when I'll be able to finally write off that list and say, 'It was a nice journey, and this is what I went through.'"
Mostert will be the 49ers' featured back in 2020. He has
bulked up this offseason in anticipation of a heavier workload on offense after spending his NFL career mostly regulated to a special-teams role.
"Right now, I'm just building myself up," Mostert told reporters in May. "I'm actually gaining some more muscle, which is kind of bizarre just because I haven't really been able to think about gaining muscle because I've already had muscle like that.
"Just trying to incorporate those things in my daily workouts, so that way, I'm able to take those hits and be one of those guys getting 200 carries. I've got to get prepared for that, and the only way that I know how is to get bulky and stronger."
Mostert's special teams coach with San Francisco, Richard Hightower,
is proud of the running back. Hightower believes Mostert is setting an example for the team's younger players.
"We want those guys to play really well on special teams and get their opportunity," Hightower said during the team's State of the Franchise event. "Because if they get an opportunity on offense or defense, that means somebody noticed them, and then we're helping the team in more than one way. That's kind of what we preach. Our young guys know that.
"I know it's public now, Raheem being on six different teams, but we've been preaching that for a long time. We make sure every rookie knows that coming in, every young guy knows what Raheem had to do to get where he is. We've got so many examples of that."
Mostert rushed for 772 yards with eight rushing touchdowns on 137 carries last season. He showed off his versatility by scampering into the end zone twice more after hauling in passes.
ESPN analyst Matt Miller watches the San Francisco 49ers differently than other teams. As a 49ers fan, he feels more invested in the team's successes and failures than most analysts.
With the draft nearing, Miller made it clear which direction he believes head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch should take with their first pick. In his ESPN mock draft, a seven-round doozy, the analyst had the 49ers selecting former Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
Miller recently joined the 49ers Webzone "No Huddle" podcast, sharing why he adamantly hopes the team addresses the offensive line at the end of the month.
"So I
George Kittle recently spoke with ESPN during the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, where he joined other NFL stars for the golfing event. Of course, the conversation shifted toward football, with Laura Rutledge asking Kittle to reflect on the team's 2023 season, its Super Bowl defeat, and the motivation it provides for the upcoming season.
The tight end believes San Francisco maintained a competitive roster this offseason and is gearing up for another run at a championship. He emphasized the importance of maintaining good health and continual improvement for a successful upcoming season.
"Brock Purdy is a fantastic quarterback, and he's only going to get better because he's young," Kittle said. "And we were fortunate enough to be able to keep our entire
The San Francisco 49ers will hold a mandatory minicamp from June 4 through 6, officially concluding the team's offseason program. After that, the Niners will break for over a month and return to the Santa Clara facilities for training camp in late July.
Between that time, starting quarterbacks will often organize throwing sessions with their receivers in an effort to build chemistry ahead of the rigors of training camp. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has been unable to participate in such sessions over the last two years. The last overall draft pick in 2022, Purdy had yet to make a name for himself during his first offseason. Last year, he was still recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing arm.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for a franchise-record 4,280 yards last season, leading the team to the Super Bowl and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He held onto the football 39 times on the ground, rushing for 144 yards and scoring twice. This marked a significant improvement over his rookie 2022 campaign when he had 22 carries for 13 yards and a score.
Purdy further displayed his athleticism during the 49ers' playoff game against the Detroit Lions last season, helping engineer a comeback victory while rushing for 48 yards on five carries.
On Tuesday morning, Purdy joined the "Pat McAfee Show," acknowledging that he believes he can contribute more rushing yards if called upon. However, that decision rests with head coach Kyle Shanahan,
