Raheem Mostert Bio
Dominique Raheem Mostert is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. After going undrafted in 2015, Mostert signed with the Philadelphia Eagles and has since played for multiple NFL teams, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2023. Standing 178 cm tall and weighing 96 kg, Mostert has built a reputation as one of the league’s most explosive and durable speed threats.
Born on April 9, 1992, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, Mostert grew up near the Atlantic Ocean and developed a lifelong love for surfing alongside his football career. He married Devon Beckwith on March 3, 2017, and the couple has three sons: Gunnar Grey, Neeko, and Myles.
Early Life and Background
Dominique Raheem Mostert was born on April 9, 1992, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, a coastal community known as the shark-bite capital of the world. He attended New Smyrna Beach High School, where he starred as a multi-sport athlete under head coach Lance Jenkins. As a senior, Mostert returned nine kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns while adding 39 receptions for 723 yards and four scores on offense, plus 81 tackles on defense.
Beyond football, Mostert was a standout sprinter, hurdler, and jumper on the track and field team under coach Brendan Robinson. He won the 2010 Florida High School Athletic Association 3A District 6 title in the 300-meter hurdles. At the 2011 FHSAA 3A Outdoor State Finals, Mostert finished first in the 100 meters with a time of 10.68 seconds and placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles with a personal-best time of 37.95 seconds. That speed would later define his professional career.
Mostert was named MVP of the 2010 Central Florida All-Star Game after recording nearly 100 receiving yards and a 94-yard kick return touchdown, and he also appeared in the Florida North vs. South football game. He grew up surfing the Atlantic, a hobby that shaped his early identity before football took over his daily life.
Path to American Football
Mostert committed to Purdue University on January 14, 2011, choosing the Boilermakers over scholarship offers from Indiana, Marshall, Illinois, the United States Naval Academy, Rutgers, Miami, Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, and Wake Forest. In his first collegiate season in 2011, Mostert set a school record by averaging 33.5 yards per kickoff return, capped by a 99-yard touchdown return in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl against Western Michigan. He finished the season with seven returns of 39 or more yards, including an 81-yarder at Indiana and a 74-yarder at Wisconsin, and was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week after racking up 206 yards on five returns against the Badgers.
Over his Purdue career from 2011 to 2014, Mostert expanded his role. In 2012, he was named a team captain and finished with 16 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown to go along with 18 kick returns for 463 yards. His 2013 campaign included a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against Penn State, and in 2014 he posted 93 carries for 529 yards and three touchdowns plus 34 kick returns for 731 yards. Mostert also competed for the Purdue track team, winning gold in both the 60 meters (6.63s) and 200 meters (20.73s) at the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships and qualifying for the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100-meter relay.
Raheem Mostert Career
Early Career (2015-2016)
After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, Mostert signed as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles. He impressed during the preseason, leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 348 combined rushing and receiving yards plus 162 yards on kick returns, but was ultimately cut and signed to the practice squad. The Miami Dolphins signed him off the Eagles’ practice squad in September 2015, and he returned two kicks for 57 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars before being released weeks later.
The Baltimore Ravens signed Mostert in October 2015, where he returned five kicks for 164 yards in seven games. He was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns in December 2015 and served as their starting kick returner for the final three games, returning 12 kicks for 309 yards. Mostert also spent brief stints on the New York Jets and Chicago Bears practice squads during the 2016 season, appearing in two games with the Bears before his release in November.
San Francisco 49ers Breakthrough (2016-2021)
On November 28, 2016, Mostert was signed to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, eventually being promoted to the active roster and finishing the regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks with 68 return yards. His role grew steadily through 2018, when he scored his first NFL touchdown on a 52-yard rush against the Oakland Raiders before suffering a fractured forearm. Mostert signed a three-year contract extension with the 49ers in March 2019, and that season became his breakout year.
In 2019, Mostert rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 14 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns. During the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, he rushed 29 times for a franchise postseason record of 220 yards and four touchdowns, the second-most rushing yards in NFL postseason history at the time. Mostert added 12 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl LIV against the Kansas City Chiefs, a 31-20 loss.
The 2020 season brought another strong start, highlighted by an 80-yard rushing touchdown against the New York Jets, before a high ankle sprain limited him to eight games. Mostert finished 2020 with 104 carries for 521 yards and two touchdowns plus 16 receptions for 156 yards and a score. He suffered significant cartilage damage to his knee in the 2021 season opener and was placed on injured reserve, ending his year. He was released by the 49ers after the 2021 campaign.
Las Vegas Raiders Era (2025-Present)
On March 13, 2025, Mostert signed a one-year contract worth $2.1 million with the Las Vegas Raiders, joining the franchise for the 2025 NFL season. The move reunited Mostert with a fresh opportunity after his release from the Miami Dolphins in February 2025. At 33 years old, he remains one of the league’s most experienced return specialists and home-run threats out of the backfield.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although his craft plays out on grass rather than asphalt, Mostert’s style mirrors that of a finely tuned sprinter. His track background translates to elite top-end speed and burst through the hole, allowing him to break long runs once he reaches the second level. He pairs that speed with vision as both a running back and returner, regularly turning modest gains into scoring plays.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mostert’s signature moment came in the 2019 NFC Championship Game, when his 220-yard, four-touchdown performance set a 49ers postseason record and ranked second in NFL postseason history. He also set the Miami Dolphins single-season touchdown record in 2023 with 21 total touchdowns and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns that same year with 18.
Raheem Mostert Career Wins
Across his NFL career, Raheem Mostert has posted several landmark statistical achievements despite going undrafted in 2015. His breakthrough came with the San Francisco 49ers from 2016 to 2021, followed by two productive seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns that season.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Mostert finished the 2023 season with 209 carries for 1,012 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns plus 25 receptions for 175 yards and three receiving scores, earning his first Pro Bowl selection on January 3, 2024. His 21 total touchdowns set a Dolphins franchise single-season record. In 2019 with the 49ers, he totaled 137 carries for 772 yards and eight touchdowns along with 14 receptions for 180 yards and two scores. With the Dolphins in 2022, Mostert posted 181 carries for 891 yards and three touchdowns plus 31 receptions for 202 yards and two scores.
Other Performances
Mostert set a Purdue school record by averaging 33.5 yards per kickoff return in 2011, with a 99-yard touchdown return in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after a 206-yard, five-return performance against Wisconsin and later claimed gold in the 60 meters and 200 meters at the 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Raheem Mostert Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mostert does not come from a professional sports family, but his upbringing in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, played a central role in shaping his athletic identity. He grew up surfing the Atlantic Ocean and developed the speed, balance, and body control that would later fuel his NFL career. His commitment to Purdue in 2011 marked the formal beginning of his football journey beyond his coastal hometown.
Personal Life
Mostert married Devon Beckwith on March 3, 2017. The couple welcomed their first son, Gunnar Grey, in June 2018, followed by their second son, Neeko, on September 22, 2020, and their third son, Myles, on June 7, 2022. Mostert is an advocate for ocean conservancy and melanoma awareness, causes he has championed publicly throughout his NFL career. He also famously kept a list of every team that released him before joining the 49ers, using it as motivation before games.
2025 Season Performance
Raheem Mostert enters the 2025 NFL season with the Las Vegas Raiders after signing a one-year, $2.1 million contract in March 2025. The deal marks a fresh chapter following his February 2025 release from the Miami Dolphins, where he had spent the prior three seasons and earned his only Pro Bowl nod. Mostert joins a Raiders backfield looking to add experienced playmaking and proven special teams value.
The 2025 campaign represents an opportunity for Mostert to extend a career that began as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He will look to bounce back from a 2024 season in which he posted 85 carries for 278 yards and two touchdowns plus 19 receptions for 161 yards in 13 games with one start. His speed and return background remain his most marketable assets as he adjusts to his seventh NFL team.
Outlook for 2025 centers on whether Mostert can carve out a defined role within the Raiders’ offense and special teams units. With his contract running through the 2025 season, he will have every chance to showcase the explosiveness that produced 21 total touchdowns in 2023 and a 220-yard NFC Championship performance in 2019.