Dolphins' Raheem Mostert decision already looks like a huge mistake

The Miami Dolphins couldn't move the ball on the ground against the Green Bay Packers, rushing for a disappointing 39 yards on 14 carries.

Maybe it was the weather. After all, linebacker Jordyn Brooks admitted that the team played "soft." Except, that excuse doesn't hold up when factoring in, first, that the Packers rushed for 116 yards, but also that the Dolphins' poor production on the ground isn't a new thing.

It is a concerning trend. Over the past four games, Miami has rushed 86 times for just 253 yards, an awful 2.94 yards per carry.

To add insult to injury, former Dolphins running back Chris Brooks, who the team cut after the preseason, rushed for almost as many yards (28) on three carries as Miami did on 14 attempts (39).

Raheem Mostert's lack of touches isn't to blame for the Dolphins' declining ground game. It goes further than that, including poor run-blocking up front. But the Dolphins' decision to reduce his role raises another big question.

Dolphins should've traded Raheem Mostert while they had the chance

Despite sitting at 2-6, Miami refused to sell at the trade deadline. The Dolphins still believed they could turn their season around, with Mike McDaniel admitting to throwing an "adult temper tantrum" to prevent a Calais Campbell trade.

Keeping Campbell was the right call, and the Dolphins have pulled themselves back into postseason contention.

However, one move that made too much sense was to trade Mostert.

While they likely wouldn't have gotten anything more than a late Day 3 pick in return, a contending team in need of running back depth may have shown interest. It would've helped Miami save some 2025 cap space and allowed the team to promote Jaylen Wright to the RB2 job.

OK, fine, they believed in their chances of turning the season around? That works, but only if Mostert is part of that. His snap counts don't reflect that.

In four of the five games Mostert played before the trade deadline, he was on the field for at least a third of the Dolphins' offensive snaps. That number reduced to just 23 percent in Week 9, just two days before the deadline. It was a sign his role was decreasing, making it the perfect time to trade him.

Instead, Miami kept Mostert on the roster but still reduced his role. Since the trade deadline, he has carried the ball only 10 times for 22 yards.

So why keep him?

The Dolphins are getting the worst of both worlds. Mostert is still playing more often than Wright, who had one snap against the Packers, but he isn't playing enough to make a significant contribution. Not only are the Dolphins getting next to nothing from Mostert, but they are also taking valuable opportunities away from their talented rookie running back.

It makes no sense.

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