What to Make of Mostert's Reunion Talk, His Comments About McDaniel

Raheem Mostert's time with the Miami Dolphins didn't end on a particularly high note, but the veteran running back would love a reunion nonetheless.

Mostert is an impending unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the Las Vegas Raiders and he said on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" that he wants to continue playing despite turning 34 in April and that his two ideal destinations would be two of his former teams, the Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.

But it was the Dolphins who he mentioned first.

Familiarity clearly was key there, not only because he already has played in Miami but because he spent a lot of time in San Francisco with new head coach Jeff Hafley and new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik when both were assistants with the 49ers.

"I would love to go to Miami," Mostert said. "I know Hafley, and, Slowik the offensive coordinator. I know them very well. They were with me at the Niners. I remember when Haf was the DB coach and, man, I had nothing but respect for him because he had his DBs playing good. And the same thing with Slowik. I know Slowik. I was with his brother (Ryan) in Miami too. So I know they're there. That family is there. They're great people."

The Dolphins released Mostert last offseason after he had a disappointing follow-up to his 2023 Pro Bowl season when he set a franchise record with 18 rushing touchdowns and 21 total touchdowns, and things weren't much better for him in Las Vegas in 2025 when he got limited action as the backup to rookie first-round pick Ashton Jeanty.

Mostert had only 22 rushing attempts last season, and the question is whether there will be any kind of market for a 34-year-old running back coming off two bad seasons.

"I definitely want to keep playing," Mostert said. "Why not? I feel good, feel great. Didn't take as much of a beating last season, so I want to continue to keep playing."

IS A MIAMI-MOSTERT REUNION REASONABLE?

The Dolphins running back room currently features four players under contract for 2026, with De'Von Achane, Jaylen Wright, Ollie Gordon II and newcomer Donovan Edwards, a former New York Jets draft pick.

At this stage of his career, Mostert clearly is a backup and the question is whether he'd represent an upgrade over Wright and/or Gordon, and that can be debated.

The one positive factor with Mostert is that he won't take much cap space.

He made barely over the veteran minimum with the Raiders last year and, again, it's not like there'll be a major market for his services this year.

The question for the Dolphins then becomes balancing bringing in a veteran at a low cost for experience in a very young room with the desire to focus on the young players as part of the rebuilding process.

In the final analysis, the Dolphins probably aren't in a place as an organization where adding Mostert is the move to make, but it's an option to consider if the need arises.

MOSTERT DISHES ON McDANIEL

After he left the Dolphins last year, Mostert complained about the way he was treated in his final year in Miami by Mike McDaniel because of a lack of communication when his role diminished — because of a combination of injuries and performance.

Mostert discussed with Cowherd his relationship, which began in San Francisco, and what he says are his shortcomings as a head coach.

"We had a good relationship going into the Dolphins organization," he said. "But obviously things kind of flustered and went their own ways. But at the beginning of everything, there's always a good story and good telling. We did everything that we possibly could to maximize the opportunities that were given to us. He's a great coach. If guys are talking to you, he'll listen and give some advice. But head coach wise, obviously the past couple years, what they've been going through has just been kind of kind of rough and I kind of feel bad for the players just because when you have a coach that that is so player-friendly, it doesn't really mix all that well. I mean, look at the coaching history, not in, just in the NFL but MLB, NBA, all these different these sports franchises, they have coaches that implement toughness, resilience. And that's something that he kind of missed the mark on in being a head coach.

"When you talk about what guys like Mike Tomlin, (Mike) Vrabel, I mean, even look at (Bill) Belichick, it was no-nonsense. We're getting here. We're getting the job done. And it's my way of the highway. You know, it's pure, this is how we're going to coach it. I'm essentially the ruler. I'm the one that's making these gains and also the failures. I have to accept that. But when you're dealing with a coach that's so nonchalant, laid-back, wants to be the catalyst behind being a player's coach, it kind of shifts that organization in the pivot within that system. When you're dealing with some something like that, is, as a player, you're like, no, I need somebody tough that's going to lay the hammer down when it needs to be down and tell other players to get in line and when you don't got that, that impact can definitely be detrimental.

Mostert and McDaniel enjoyed some success together, most notably that 2023 season when the Dolphins finished with 11 wins, their highest total since the 2008 season.

But the Dolphins came up short at the end of the season, losing against Baltimore and Buffalo before meekly going down in that playoff game in the bitter cold at Kansas City.

And Mostert said that season illustrated some of the shortcomings of the McDaniel era.

"We had one of the best offenses to ever be displayed that 2023 season," he said. "And when it boiled down to those critical games, yeah, people want to say, hey, look, it was the cold that messed you up. You don't know how to play in cold weather or teams above .500 you can't really beat, that's just all. That's hearsay, right? It's all about execution. Yeah, some coaches can tense up in those situations and some players can tense up as well. But it's all about the details and trying to figure out how you can execute that game in order to win it. And we were just unable to do it."