Raheem Mostert is looking to get what he deserves from the 49ers.
After a breakout 2019 season that included a pair of dominant playoff performances, Mostert and his agent hoped the 49ers would give Mostert a raise. His initial contract was signed under the impression Mostert's primary role would be as a special teams player for the 49ers, before he rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns in the regular season. Mostert made his trade demands with the 49ers public on Jul. 8.
But former 49ers star quarterback Steve Young believes Mostert should be wary of trying to force his way out of San Francisco. He joined KNBR, and spoke about another 49ers tailback who sought greener pastures.
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"One of the biggest mistakes we made was letting Ricky Watters go," Young explained (h/t 49ersWebZone). "And Ricky was glad to go. 'I'll prove you guys wrong. I'll go to Philadelphia.' And you know what? The worst thing that happened to us and Ricky was that we separated.
"There's mistakes that are made in the middle of it, too. Players that are part of these very efficient, disciplined teams, if you say, 'You know what? I'm going to hold you over a barrel. I'm going to put the screws to you,' you know what? Be careful. You'll be out on your ear, and you'll be shocked.
"If you're not George Kittle, and you're on this team, and you think that you can pressure this team, I think the discipline will beat you back, and you're going to have to find some other job. I think I'd be very careful."
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Watters left the 49ers and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1995. But it's not like Watters' career fell apart after leaving the Bay Area. He amassed six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Eagles and then Seattle Seahawks. In fact, each of those six seasons produced a higher rushing total for Watters than any of his three seasons with the 49ers.
Prior to the 2019 season, Mostert had just 42 NFL carries and had a trio of talented running backs to compete with for touches in Tevin Coleman, Matt Breida and Jerick McKinnon. But injuries opened a door for Mostert, and he ran right through it.
[RELATED: 49ers' free agency, draft options also working against Mostert]
His 220-yard rushing total in the 49ers' NFC Championship Game win over the Green Bay Packers was the best in franchise history, making Mostert a household name as San Francisco advanced to Super Bowl LIV.
But with the extreme devaluation we've seen of NFL running backs over the past decade, Mostert doesn't have a hugely compelling case for getting a pay bump from general manager John Lynch. Plus, the front office likely has George Kittle's potential record-breaking extension higher up on their list of priorities than paying Mostert.
Kyle Shanahan's offense helped open up Mostert's golden opportunity in the NFL, and helped him thrive. Mostert wants to get paid like the feature back he was in 2019, but it isn't likely San Francisco will be sending any major money Mostert's way any time soon.
He might not get a better chance at winning a championship in the next few years than he will with the 49ers, but Mostert will have to decide what is most important for him in his NFL career.