The NFL season is never really over. While The Philadelphia Eagles are on Cloud 9 this Friday celebrating at their Super Bowl Parade, veteran back Raheem Mostert received less joyous news:
Looks like my client Raheem Mostert will be playing elsewhere next season. Very thankful for his time with the Miami Dolphins, and this gives them a chance to get younger and gives him a chance to pursue a ring elsewhere.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) February 14, 2025
Mostert has had an eventful professional career. Entering the league as an undrafted journeyman, Mostert bounced from the Ravens to the Browns to the Bears before settling in San Francisco for six seasons. In 2022, Mostert ventured across the country to Miami, finding his niche in an explosive offense that tore teams apart on the ground. The vet back had a monster season in 2023, collecting 1,012 yards, 209 carriers and a whopping 21 total touchdowns—tied for first with phenom Christian McCaffrey.
After dealing with lingering injuries, falling out of a starting role and only suiting up for 13 games in the 2024-2025 season, Mostert will depart from Miami and seek a new home this offseason. Let the record know that Mostert turns 33 in April, a daunting age for a position that has a shorter shelf life than other positions in the league.
Where could Mostert’s journey take him next? Let’s break it down.
Top-3 Landing Spots
Cincinnati Bengals: Two things are fair to say about the Bengals: one, they will surely be coming back with a vengeance in 2025 after winning their last five games of the season, Joe Burrow putting up MVP-level numbers, and still missing the playoffs. Two, they need running back depth. After Zack Moss suffered a frightening neck injury leading up to Week 9 and was ruled out for the rest of the season, Chase Brown took over RB1 responsibilities and performed at an impressive level. Brown finished with 990 yards and seven touchdowns; however, he also suffered multiple injuries throughout the season, including a sprained ankle in Week 17 that benched him for the final game of the season.
Cincinnati brought in Khalil Herbert for support, but the former Bear didn’t make an impact what-so-ever, putting up just 28 carries for 114 yards in eight games. While the Bengals will surely deal with several moving parts—including attempting to pay Trey Hendrickson and reevaluating the…Tee Higgins…contract…situation—signing a veteran back as a safety blanket is logical for the organization.
Dallas Cowboys: Calling all Cowboys fans: can you deny the fact Dallas struggled in the run game in 2024-2025? After an extremely uneventful offseason in 2024, the Cowboys put together a forgettable 7-10 season filled with embarrassing losses and brutal injuries. Well, it’s a new year for the Cowboys (and slightly clean slate? Looking at you, Jerry) with the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as head coach. With quarterback Dak Prescott 12 weeks into recovery from hamstring surgery, star CeeDee Lamb returning with a fatter paycheck, and Micah Parsons still on the roster (for now), Dallas has a handful of solid weapons with plenty of room to fill out the roster.
Back to the ground game. After signing and releasing Ezekiel Elliott for the 17th time, Dallas stuck with South Carolina alum Rico Dowdle as their RB1. While Dowdle struggled throughout the first two-thirds of the season, averaging just 45.8 yards per game in the first seven contests, he truly hit his stride in the final stretch. The 26-year-old notched four 100+ rushing yard games in his final six contests, three of those back-to-back-to-back. This, as Kendrick Lamar would say on “tv off,” is not enough. Dowdle showed spirts of craftiness, but is not talented enough to be a one man show in Dallas. With Jerry Jones’ track record of signing veteran backs, I can easily see Mostert heading over to Big D, bringing with him plenty of valuable experience and leadership qualities to strengthen the Cowboy’s current RB situation.
Las Vegas Raiders: If we’re going in the direction of teams that aren’t contenders but need help, the Raiders fit the bill. With new head coach Pete Carroll coming into the mix, I have no doubt he with flip this organization around and avoid the “tanking” talk at all costs. With a running back room comprised of Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, and Sincere McCormick, Vegas could use a guy that can, at the very least, get them yards after contact. White finished the ’24-’25 season with a disappointing 183 yards, while Mattison added 420 yards and four touchdowns to his career total.
The Raiders have a lot to figure out. From quarterback to wide receiver, the roster is open for Vegas to make a splash in the draft and in free agency. Mostert could be a solid bridge piece to keep the ground game afloat as Carroll and the organization mend what was a semi-disaster of a season (remember when Davante Adams was a Raider?), while also not costing much in the long run. Plus, the age of Mostert is commonly a concern for many front offices, so journeying to an organization that truly has nothing to lose at this point could be a great opportunity for the vet.
