Getty Raheem Mostert taking the ball from Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers.
Though the San Francisco 49ers aren’t taking part in the Super Bowl, many of the team’s players are still in Arizona, working the rounds on media row to provide interesting perspectives on the biggest game of the year.
One of the players who made the rounds in the 2023 edition of media week was none other than Raheem Mostert, the Niners’ former starting running back who last played for the team in 2021. Though Mostert had some controversial things to say about one of San Francisco’s quarterbacks heading into Week 13, the veteran rusher was incredibly complimentary of Brock Purdy during his conversation with Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“You just take a guy like Brock, and I don’t know too much about him, but I just know that he was at one point Mr. Irrelevant who’s now relevant,” Mostert said. “And I tend to think that a guy like me, coming in, I was undrafted, and not too many people gave me opportunities until I got my opportunity and was able to flourish and try to make plays as best as possible and stay grounded.”
“I think that’s what Brock’s been able to do so well is just stay grounded and be that guy that when they call his number, he’s going to show up and show out. And as you saw, he led you guys on an [eight-] game win streak, which is pretty much unheard of, for a guy to step in toward the tail end of the season and then carry you into the playoffs the way he did.”
Mostert is correct; no Mr. Irrelevant has ever led the 49ers or any team to the playoffs, let alone to the NFL Championship game as a team’s starting quarterback. No matter how the rest of his NFL career shakes, out, Purdy has already made history.
Revisiting Raheem Mostert’s Controversial 49ers Comments
It’s hard to discuss Mostert and the 49ers without looking back on his controversial interview with GoLongTD.com’s Tyler Dunne, where the former San Francisco rusher had some very interesting comments on his current quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, that got more than a few fans riled up.
“We have a quarterback,” Mostert said of Tagovailoa via NBA Sports Bay Area, “who can actually sling it.”
Despite repeated attempts to clarify that his comments weren’t meant to slander Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers starter at the time, and further suggestions that some of his words were purposefully left out in order to create clickbait, that didn’t stop players like Deebo Samuel from taking Mostert’s words personally on the way to a 33-17 win.
Mostert has an Interesting Metaphor for the San Francisco 49ers QB
Circling back to his interview with NBC Sports, Mostert succinctly described just how special Purdy’s performance has been via a fun spots metaphor.
“So I got nothing but love and respect for a guy like him, who was once known as Mr. Irrelevant,” Mostert said. “Someone who was picked last just because. It’s like you go to that guy who’s picked last in a dodgeball game and you’re like, ‘OK, I got to deal with this guy,’ but then all of a sudden, he makes magic. It’s just awesome to see that type of thing.”
Winning eight games in a row with a third-string quarterback drafted with the last pick in the seventh round is certainly magic. After entering the NFL with basically no expectations, it’s clear Purdy’s relevancy has been firmly established.