Raheem Mostert Trade Rumors: 49ers, RB Had Meeting to 'Get on the Same Page'

Earlier in July, Raheem Mostert publicly requested a trade through his agent.

But on Monday, the San Francisco 49ers running back and the team reportedly met to "clear the air" regarding his future with the franchise, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:

On July 8, Mostert's agent Brett Tessler tweeted the following:

Mostert, 28, was a breakout star for the Niners in 2019, rushing for 772 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season. He came on strong late in the season, with 379 rushing yards and six scores in December. 

But it was the team's run to the Super Bowl where Mostert truly shined, rushing for 336 yards and five touchdowns in the postseason. He was particularly excellent in the NFC Championship Game, rushing for 220 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The Niners couldn't follow up that performance with a title, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, but it appeared they had unearthed a hidden gem in Mostert. 

Hidden gems traditionally aren't paid well compared to their peers, however, and Mostert is no exception. As a journeyman before 2019 who appeared in games for the Niners, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, Mostert signed a three-year, $8.7 million deal with San Francisco in March 2019.

That has him set to make $2.5 million in base salary this season and $2.8 million in 2021 base salary. To put that in perspective, Niners fullback Kyle Juszczyk will make $5 million in base salary this season.

Given that he emerged as San Francisco's starting running back—certainly their most productive player at the position—it's fair to argue that those figures would make Mostert fairly underpaid. 

The Niners' counterargument will be that Mostert has only proven himself for about half-a-season. They'll also argue that they'll utilize a running-back-by-committee philosophy with Tevin Coleman and Jeff Wilson also on the roster, hence the divide between the sides.

That they are communicating again after Mostert's trade demand is a positive sign for a potential compromise, however.