Before Raheem Mostert emerged with the San Francisco 49ers and long before the running back earned Pro Bowl honors with the Miami Dolphins, he struggled to earn a spot in the NFL.
Mostert, 32, was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and even the Dolphins before landing on the 49ers’ practice squad in 2016.
“It’s devastating because your hopes and dreams are right there in front of you and then when you get that phone call, it just seems like that’s a lasting memory,” Mostert said Monday. “I remember when I was in Philly and got that phone call. Unfortunately I was the last guy in the building to receive that phone call and it changed my life
“You’ve just got to grow and learn and become a better player when teams are making those decisions. So I was able to stick with it and to all the guys out there, I just hope the best for them. Especially on this team, because we had a good roster of guys that came in, played their tails off and did everything they possible could to make a roster spot.”
More than a thousand NFL players will be waived or released Tuesday as teams trim their rosters to 53 players each. Fortunately for Mostert, he doesn’t have to worry about turning in his playbook.
But he had one more piece of advice for the players who will hit the waiver wire.
“One thing that I truly was blessed about was that I didn’t burn bridges because those same bridges that you keep ahold of and keep them strong, they come around tenfold,” Mostert said. “That was the case for me when I went from Philly and then Chip Kelly was in San Francisco at the time the following year. And guess what? I made a mark in San Fran.”
Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to cut their rosters to 53 players.
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