To the misfortune of the San Francisco 49ers offense, and to the detriment of his future in the NFL, San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert’s season came to a sudden end on Thursday night, November 1, after his arm snapped on a play that took the cheer out of Levi’s Stadium.
ESPN quotes coach Kyle Shanahan as stating that it is unlikely that Mostert will return at any point throughout the remainder of 2018. Practicing orthopedic surgeon — and former NFL head team doctor, David J. Chao, M.D. — has confirmed via Twitter that while Mostert is almost sure to come around to a 100 percent recovery, the running back will be needing a cast to stabilize a “both-bone forearm fracture.”
Those who were tuned in to watch Week 9’s Thursday Night Football grudge-match between the Niners and the Oakland Raiders can indeed attest to actually seeing where both fractures occurred on Mostert’s arm. The telecast replayed the moment he went down — after warning the audience about the graphic nature of the injury.
Prior to the replay, it had been obvious that something terrible had happened, based on the reaction given off by players on the field and along the sidelines. The linemen surrounding Mostert could be seen waving for the team physician, while Raiders running back Jalen Richard could be seen grimacing in the foreground of the shot.
WARNING LOOK AWAY! Pretty obvious here. #RaheemMostert with a both bone forearm fracture that will need surgery. Will recover 100% for next season. pic.twitter.com/foZYogJ0mN
— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) November 2, 2018
With San Francisco up by a score of 31-3 with under five minutes remaining in the third quarter, they looked to use the ground game to continue running the clock down towards a victory. It was after receiving an inside hand-off on the third down — near the 30 yard line — that Mostert was tripped up by a Raiders defender. He’d use his right arm to try to break his fall, at which point his forearm folded beneath his weight and separated in two places. Mostert’s reaction to the break was instant, with a scream echoing from the field.
Thankfully, Mostert appeared to be in otherwise good health and spirits as he was escorted to the locker room — his arm supported by the hands of a doctor.
For Mostert, the exit was untimely, to say the least. CBS Sports had him enjoying a game that was amongst his career best, recording 86 yards on seven carries and contributing the first touchdown of his career to the Niners’ offensive efforts. This injury comes on the heels of consecutive contests which saw him emerging as a viable option in the run game in the event that a hobbled Matt Breida went down with an injury designation in the near future.
