Raheem Mosert
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SI on Seahawks' Brendon Nelson argued the Seattle Seahawks should consider veteran RB Raheem Mostert a free agency backup plan this offseason.
A lot of NFL pundits expect the Seattle Seahawks to address running back at some point in the 2026 NFL Draft. But the NFL Draft can be unpredictable, and with only four selections, the Seahawks will have limited options to pick a rookie running back. Therefore, SI on Seahawks’ Brendon Nelson encouraged the Seahawks to have a free agency fallback option — veteran Raheem Mostert.
“The Seahawks still need some help at running back, and there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to find it in the draft, so there should be some kind of backup plan,” Nelson wrote. “And with the setup the team currently has, they need some speed.
“There isn’t exactly much left, but Raheem Mostert has been a successful speed back in this league for some time.”
In 11 NFL seasons, Mostert’s top attribute has often been his speed. Over 115 games, the veteran has averaged 5 yards per carry.
During the 2023 campaign, Mostert led the NFL with 18 touchdowns while also running for 1,012 yards. Mostert made the Pro Bowl for the Miami Dolphins that season.
Last season, the veteran averaged 4.7 yards per carry with limited opportunities for the Las Vegas Raiders.
This offseason, the Seahawks lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker from their backfield. For that reason, pundits continue to link the Super Bowl champs to free agent and incoming rookie running backs.
How Raheem Mostert Could Fit With Seahawks
The Seahawks added former Green Bay Packers backup running back Emanuel Wilson in NFL free agency. Seattle also has six other running backs on its offseason roster, including Zach Charbonnet, who shared the backfield for most of the season with Walker last year.
With Charbonnet and their depth, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider have expressed confidence in the team’s running backs.
But to really solidify the group, it would make sense for the Seahawks to add a runner in the backfield. Nelson sees Mostert as a better complement than most because of his natural speed.
While he’s been in the league for more than a decade, Mostert has registered just one season with more than 200 carries. That makes him fresher for his age. He’s also accustomed to sharing the backfield, which he would do in some capacity with the Seahawks.
In three of the past seven seasons, Mostert eclipsed the 770-yards rushing mark. He also had more than 500 rushing yards in another campaign.
Last season, he had 104 rushing yards on just 22 carries for Las Vegas.
Why Mostert Isn’t the Ideal Addition for Seattle’s Backfield
While Nelson proposed Mostert as a potential target left in free agency for the Seahawks, the analyst didn’t seem real wild about his own proposal.
Nelson argued why the Seahawks might not consider Mostert and should just target a rookie in the draft.
“The problem is, he’s about to turn 34 years old and his big 2023 season is getting further and further in the rearview mirror,” Nelson added. “You could pivot to Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt, but it doesn’t feel like those guys really fit into what the team needs after Ken Walker’s departure.
“Basically, this team really needs to make sure they handle this during the draft.”
There’s little doubt a rookie would be a superior option to Mostert. A first-year player will have more upside, be roughly a decade younger and provide a long-term security.
But as much as running back remains a need, the Seahawks have made pretty clear this offseason that it’s not a position the organization is willing to overspend on. If they can’t find draft value in the backfield, it’s possible the Seahawks leave the 2026 draft without a rookie running back.
Should that happen, Seattle should circle back to Mostert. He could at least bring a speed element to the Seahawks backfield.