The Las Vegas Raiders completely revamped their backfield this offseason, selecting Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick of the NFL Draft and also adding former Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert in free agency.
Jeanty is widely viewed as a potential breakout candidate right off the bat, and Mostert was added for veteran insurance.
However, we won't even get to see Mostert in the Raiders' season opener, as they have made him a healthy scratch against the New England Patriots.
Just two years ago with the Miami Dolphins, Mostert was one of the most dynamic weapons in football, racking up 1,012 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He also reached the end zone three more times as a receiver.
Unfortunately, Mostert took a major step backward last season, finishing with just 278 yards and a couple of scores on just 3.3 yards per attempt.
The Dolphins released the 33-year-old back in February, and a month later, the Raiders signed him, hoping he would bolster a rushing attack that struggled mightily last season.
But evidently, Las Vegas does not feel that Mostert is fit to be one of its main contributors out of the backfield in Week 1. Zamir White will likely serve as the primary backup behind Jeanty, and Dylan Laube is available, as well.
Perhaps we will see Mostert at some point in 2025. He does have a very solid track record from his days with the San Francisco 49ers and, of course, Miami, but the problem with Mostert is that he was a late bloomer. He entered the league in 2015 but did not carve out a significant role until 2019.
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For that reason, the Purdue product was already older by the time he finally broke out, so his shelf life wasn't all that long.
We'll see if Las Vegas regrets sitting him on Sunday.
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