Kyle Shanahan is in a tough spot with his star running back. The 49ers are in the playoffs and it’s time for the team to make a decision on how they want to approach their final game.
Kyle Shanahan will soon need to make a difficult decision on a former 49ers playoff hero. The 49ers players is an NFL player that has been with the team for multiple seasons.
If the 49ers’ Week 1 win against the Detroit Lions is any indication of what’s to come, head coach Kyle Shanahan has reason to be hopeful about the coming months.
But, as Shanahan knows, contentment in the NFL is frequently ephemeral. Despite all that went well in the season’s first game, the experienced offensive mind now faces the prospect of playing without one of his most exciting weapons in the coming weeks.
Raheem Mostert, the 49ers’ running back, will be sidelined indefinitely.
With damaged knee cartilage, Raheem Mostert will be placed on injured reserve for around eight weeks.
September 13, 2024 — Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS)
When healthy, veteran 49ers running back Raheem Mostert has utilized his lightning speed to cause havoc for opponents. Unfortunately for the veteran running back, his injury issues have reared their ugly heads once again.
After running for 336 yards and five touchdowns on 6.3 yards per carry during the 2019 NFL Playoffs, Mostert began the 2024 season with high hopes. Injuries to his knees and ankles restricted him to 521 yards and two scores in eight games last season.
Now, the Purdue graduate is on injured reserve once again, this time owing to a knee issue. Mostert gained 20 yards on two runs in Week 1’s win against Detroit before exiting with torn knee cartilage, according to doctors.
On Monday, Sept. 13, Shanahan informed reporters that he expects his brilliant running back to return in eight weeks. If all goes according to plan, Mostert may play against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9, a home game at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 7.
Shanahan and the 49ers will have to make a tough choice regarding Mostert’s future in 2024.
Raheem Mostert, a promising running back for the San Francisco 49ers, will have to make a tough choice. | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: When healthy, Mostert has been a frightening weapon for the 49ers in recent seasons. In the 2019 NFC Championship Game, he memorably gashed the Green Bay Packers defense for 220 running yards and four touchdowns. Last September, the veteran running back showed off his quickness by rushing for an 80-yard score against the New York Jets.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Mostert has experienced a number of ailments, ranging from forearm fractures to recurrent knee issues. He’s already set to lose time during a contract season, and if he’d remained healthy, the 29-year-old running back might have set himself up for a nice payout next spring. Despite the fact that his age and injury history would have prevented him from landing a lucrative deal, he would still have had a chance to make a name for himself.
Shanahan will eventually hand over the starting quarterback job to Trey Lance, whether it’s later this fall or before the 2024 season. When that time comes, the North Dakota State product will need weapons, and with George Kittle, perhaps the NFL’s best tight end, still creating plays and beating defenders, he’ll almost likely take over. Running back is a another matter altogether.
It’s reasonable to speculate that Mostert will have a role in Lance’s early years as a starting quarterback. As explosive as the running back is, the club has a hard time counting on him to remain healthy. When will the 49ers realize that finding a younger, less expensive, and more durable running back is more beneficial?
The 49ers may have found a long-term successor for Mostert.
It’s conceivable that Mostert won’t be carrying the ball for another club in 2024. If that turns out to be the case, the 49ers may have found a suitable alternative.
In Week 1, sixth-round selection Elijah Mitchell of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette ran for 104 yards and a score. After Mostert’s injury, the youngster stepped in and looked right at home against a weak Lions defense.
On the active roster are second-year running back JaMycal Hasty, who scored on a 3-yard run in the opener, and third-round selection Trey Sermon. Mitchell was the backup quarterback in Week 1 when Sermon, an Ohio State product, was not activated.
For the time being, Shanahan needs one of them running backs to fill the hole left by Mostert’s injury. If things go well for the 49ers, the replacement quarterback may end up becoming the long-term starter.
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Despite their tumultuous relationship, Mike Florio sees Kyle Shanahan as having a very bright future.
Kyle Shanahan will soon need to make a difficult decision on a former 49ers playoff hero. The San Francisco 49ers have been trying to trade for Jimmy Garoppolo, but the Patriots are not willing to part with him. Reference: sanfrancisco 49ers.
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