Raheem Mostert Talks Hall of Fame Goals, 49ers' 2020 Free Agency and More

It took five seasons after going undrafted in 2015 for running back Raheem Mostert to finally prove his worth in the NFL. Before breaking out with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, Mostert had yet to suit up for more than 11 games in a single year. 

As he enters his fourth training camp with the Niners in 2020, he's setting the bar even higher for himself, telling DAZN's Pat McAfee that helping his team reach the Super Bowl last year showed him how much further he can push himself on the field: 

"That was the most inspiring thing that I possibly could do in my lifetime right now," Mostert said. "It was just one of those things for me when I just soaked it all in and looked back on my track record and the things that I've done. It really opened up my eyes to—hey, look, I did this, I mean why stop? Just keep going. Keep doing the right things, the necessary things in order to be great."

There was no denying Mostert's greatness in the 2020 NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. The 27-year-old out-scored the Packers by himself, with 220 yards and four touchdowns on 29 rushing attempts in a 37-20 victory. 

It was a seemingly cathartic payoff for someone who had bounced around six different franchises before establishing himself in San Francisco. It also had Mostert dreaming of where he could end up if he can continue to produce at that level—namely, the Hall of Fame. 

"That's something I want to be, man," Mostert told McAfee. "I want to be able to have a gold jacket, and the only way to do that is to be great."

It may be premature to talk about Mostert's legacy when he appears to still have plenty of years left in his career, but his place on a Niners team with a wide open championship window cannot be overlooked. In 2019, he rushed for 772 yards on 137 carries (5.6 yards per attempt) with eight touchdowns on an offense that ranked fourth overall with 381.1 yards per game last season. 

The true test of Mostert's worth already seems to be playing out this offseason. San Francisco has not signed any tailbacks in free agency, and with two years left on Mostert's three-year, $8.7 million deal, appear ready to stick with him as their co-lead back alongside Tevin Coleman. The duo had the same number of attempts last season with Mostert averaging 1.6 yards more per carry. 

To date there have been 17 players who have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame without getting drafted. Mostert believes he's capable of becoming No. 18. He's certainly earned an opportunity to prove it with the Niners.