The Dolphins faced plenty of uncertainty at the running back position entering the offseason, but at least one member of the tandem that was in place to finish the 2022 season will return. Raheem Mostert has agreed to terms on a two-year, $5.6M contract with $2.2M in guarantees (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that incentives push the maximum value of the deal to $7.6M.
The 30-year-old was set to hit the open market as one of several veteran running backs in this year’s class. His production could have generated a few outside suitors, but the Dolphins made it clear that they wanted to keep either Mostert or Jeff Wilson (with the door remaining open to both being brought back).
Mostert signed with the Dolphins last offseason to continue working with head coach Mike McDaniel after the pair spent considerable time together in San Francisco. His arrival came as part of the team’s desire to rebuild the RB room after Miami struggled mightily on the ground in previous seasons. Mostert earned just over $3.1M on that pact and will now see a slight raise from that figure if he is able to reach the full value of this new deal.
The former undrafted free agent set a new career-high in rushing attempts and yards in 2022, recording 891 on the ground. He also topped the 1,000 mark for scrimmage yards (1,093) for the first time. His 4.9 yards per carry average was slightly below his career mark but still sufficient to demonstrate his effectiveness in a starting role. Mostert added 502 kick return yards as he remained a key special teamer in his debut Miami season.
Wilson was acquired via trade from the 49ers after they landed Christian McCaffrey. While the former saw similar usage in Miami as he had in San Francisco to start the season, he was slightly less effective in his new home. As a whole, the Dolphins ranked only 25th in rushing yards, averaging 99 per game. That could point to an outside addition being brought in to compete for snaps with Mostert, but the latter will nevertheless remain in place in the team’s backfield.
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