Having your season end due to injury is a dark day for any player. For San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert, who announced via Twitter on Tuesday, September 14, that he was undergoing season-ending knee surgery, it was so bleak he had to avoid social media completely.
Mostert stayed offline as not to see a slew of negative comments he expected to face. He was already experiencing social media backlash from the day before, when it was initially reported that his injury would only keep him out for eight weeks.
That was enough bad news for some San Francisco fans, who piled on the downed starter with online insults.
So when the initial diagnosis turned out that it was worse than expected and Mostert announced the next day he’d have to undergo season-ending surgery? Forget about the cellphone. Mostert powered down after his tweet rather than read more of what was already coming his family’s way.
Fast forward to Thursday, September 16, with the decision behind him and the injury news a couple of days old, and Mostert thought it safe enough to check his phone again. He was blown away by what was waiting for him.
1/2 — I’ve been avoiding social media for the past few days for obvious reasons. And after logging on today, I’m speechless. Thank you for your incredible love and support!
“I’ve been avoiding social media for the past few days for obvious reasons,” Mostert tweeted Thursday. “And after logging on today, I’m speechless. Thank you for your love and incredible support!”
Wife: Hate Came as Soon as Mostert Went Down
Getty49ers running back Raheem Mostert (right).
Mostert suffered torn cartilage in his knee during the team’s 41-33 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 1, a game in which the running back logged 20 yards on two carries before going down.
The day of the injury, Devon Mostert, Raheem’s wife, described on Instagram the onslaught the couple received.
“It’s days like today where I truly contemplate not getting on social media again,” Devon Mostert posted on her Instagram story. “As if today wasn’t hard enough, to get on here and have dms (direct messages) about how my husband should kill himself, about how he should be cut, about how he’s made of glass. I know I shouldn’t care, but wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.”
But on Thursday, it was all “incredible love and support” for the 5-foot-10, 197-pound Purdue product.
More than 16,000 people “liked” Mostert’s thank you tweet.
Still, Mostert’s absence provided a big hole in the San Francisco backfield.
The team made moves this week heading into their Week 2 game against the Eagles in Philadelphia to fill the void. They claimed former Baltimore Ravens RB Trenton Cannon off of waivers to complement the addition of former Lions RB Kerryon Johnson to the practice squad.
The two new runners joined a depth chart that already had rookies Elijah Mitchell and Trey Sermon, as well as 25-year-old JaMycal Hasty.
Shanahan Says Aiyuk Not in ‘Doghouse’: Report
Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s targetless game in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions raised some eyebrows. So did his coach’s comments a couple of days after the San Francisco victory, when Kyle Shanahan told reporters that last year’s No. 1 receiver had to be “better” than the guy behind him if he wanted more balls.
If it was easy for some to try and read between the lines on Shanahan’s less-than-flattering quotes, the coach tried to squash on Friday, September 17, any whispers that Aiyuk was falling out of favor.
Per KNBR reporter Brian Murphy, Aiyuk was not in Shanahan’s “doghouse.”
Kyle on Aiyuk: “No, it’s not a doghouse. He would’ve got his spot completely back; tweaked his hamstring before 3rd preseason game. Planned on rotating him; we did. and you get a big reaction to that; It’s not personal…things are a bigger deal b/c of fantasy football (laughs)”
“No, it’s not a doghouse,” Shanahan said, according to Murphy. “He would’ve got his spot completely back; tweaked his hamstring before third preseason game. Planned on rotating him; we did. And you get a big reaction to that; It’s not personal … things are a bigger deal because of fantasy football.”
The coach went on to tell all the reporters during Friday’s press conference that Aiyuk had a good week of practice, running crisp routes, executing his blocking assignments and absorbing the new game plan.
“It’s not just about Aiyuk,” Shanahan said about the receiver’s gradual return to the starting lineup and reduced number of snaps played. “I know I keep saying this, but I feel bad for him that everyone is making it just like him. It also has to do with other receivers in the room and we’ve got a pretty good group. And I think all those guys had a pretty good week.”
The 49ers are a 3-point favorite against the Eagles on Sunday, September 19.
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49ers RB Breaks Social Media Silence After Surgery: ‘I’m Speechless’