Raheem Mostert joins Raiders, excited to work with Geno Smith and revitalize team’s rushing attack

By Canadian Press on March 19, 2025.

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raheem Mostert was on a call with Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and running backs coach Deland McCullough when he got a text from an unfamiliar number.

“Hey, this is Geno, I’m super excited to have you, man. We’re super excited to have you. Let’s get wins. Let’s get ready to work,” new Raiders quarterback Geno Smith wrote.

Smith’s text reassured Mostert he made the right decision to relocate his family and become a part of the storied franchise.

“That just tells you the type of player that he is and wants to be,” Mostert said Wednesday after signing a one-year contract with Las Vegas. “That right there in itself, for a guy that can reach out to so many other people … to reach out to me the way he did in that moment, I hadn’t even officially signed, makes it reassuring that he’s definitely on track to be something great and also this team.”

The 10-year veteran joins an offense he believes will be tailored to what he can bring to a backfield, as first-year coach Pete Carroll and Kelly try to revitalize a unit that ranked last with just 1,357 yards rushing in 2024.

“My role is whatever I can create it to be,” said Mostert who spent the last three seasons with Miami and is joining his seventh NFL team. “Obviously, there’s opportunity there. I’m going to come in the building ready to work.”

Though Mostert was plagued with injuries at the start of his career, the 32-year-old stayed healthy for the better part of his three years in Miami.

Mostert has played in 103 games with 39 starts and rushed for 3,791 yards on 759 carries, with 34 touchdowns. He’s also caught 111 passes for 899 yards and eight touchdowns. His best season was 2023, when he had 1,012 yards rushing and a league-leading 18 touchdowns and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

Over the last three seasons, Mostert’s 28 offensive touchdowns are tied for the ninth most in the league among running backs, while his career average of 5.0 yards per rush is tied for the fourth-highest among running backs during the Super Bowl era.

But it’s more than numbers with Mostert. He’ll be looked upon to lead a group of running backs that currently includes five others, none of whom has more than three years of experience.

Las Vegas might add to that in the NFL draft, with some analysts predicting the Raiders will select Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty of Boise State with the sixth overall pick. Mostert could become a mentor to the franchise’s running back of the future.

“I kind of take that with pride,” Mostert said. “One thing that I truly try to implement within the running back room is, ‘Hey, look, you help me feed my family, I’ll help you feed yours.’ … We all work together.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

W.g. Ramirez, The Associated Press

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