Raheem Mostert rode an odyssey around the internet this past week after comments surfaced that were initially interpreted as shots toward Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers.
That was not his intention.
In a recent interview with GoLongTD.com’s Tyler Dunne, Mostert -- the former 49ers running back currently playing for the Miami Dolphins -- said, “We have way better talent here.” Fans also thought Mostert took a subtle shot at quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo by stating, “We have a quarterback who can actually sling it.”
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On Tuesday, Mostert joined KNBR 680’s Greg Papa for an interview to give more context to his comments.
“The initial [story] was talking about Tua [Tagovailoa] and his success,” Mostert said. “When I was being asked those questions, I was looking at it as a view of what Tua has done and what Tua has dealt with in the past.”
Tagovailoa entered his third NFL season with plenty of question marks, having compiled just an 88.8 passer rating over his first two campaigns. However, new Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has Tagovailoa playing at an MVP level: 19 touchdowns, three picks and a league-high 115.7 passer rating through nine games.
Mostert stated his “sling it” comments were about the criticism surrounding Tagovailoa and had nothing to do with Garoppolo.
San Francisco 49ers
“I would never, ever in a million years talk down on a player, specifically a guy like Jimmy,” Mostert said. “We’ve grown together all those years when I was [with San Francisco]. His family is like my family.”
What about the comments on the Dolphins having more talent?
“I was speaking in terms of we have more talent [in Miami], right now, this moment, than what has been here in the past. I can see how that can be misconstrued.”
Deebo Samuel, a teammate of Mostert’s for three seasons with the 49ers, apparently saw the comments and told the running back to “be real with yourself” in a tweet posted Monday.
“I was with the Niners for several years,” Mostert said. “I know exactly what the team’s talent is. There’s unbelievable talent on both sides of the ball and even on special teams. I wasn’t trying to take shots or digs at anyone.”
Fair enough.
The matchup between the 49ers and Dolphins looked intriguing even before those comments took on their own life. Miami has won five straight games and San Francisco is riding a four-game winning streak. Both teams are jockeying for playoff positions in their respective conferences.
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Storylines or not, it still will be a compelling and emotional game on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium. Let the chess match between coaches Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel begin.