Fins twins: Miami locks up Mostert-Wilson RB duo

In one day the Miami Dolphins locked up their backfield, agreeing to deals with running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. on Tuesday.

Wilson is staying in Miami on a two-year deal that has a max value of $8.2 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Mostert’s agent, Brett Tessler, told ESPN that his client is returning to the Dolphins with a two-year contract as well, with a source telling Schefter that Mostert’s deal is worth $7.6 million with incentives.

Wilson and Mostert were previously teammates in San Francisco, where Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was the offensive coordinator.

Wilson is one of the few players who spent time as the lead back for two teams last season. After impressing on 102 touches with the 49ers, Wilson was traded in Week 9 to the Dolphins after the Niners acquired Christian McCaffrey.

Wilson immediately stepped into a large role alongside Mostert in Miami, using his physical running style to gain 209 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games with the team. After trading for Wilson, the Dolphins ranked ninth in the NFL in yards after first contact through the remainder of the regular season.

Mostert came to Miami as a free agent last offseason, and set career highs in both rushing yards (891) and carries (181).

Originally slated to split carries with Chase Edmonds, Mostert, 30, seized control of the Dolphins’ backfield in Week 4 and operated as their lead back until the team landed Wilson.

Mostert’s best performance of the season came in a last-second loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, when he rushed for 136 yards on 17 carries. He remained relatively healthy throughout the 2022 season after playing just nine games the previous two seasons.

His career average of 5.4 yards per carry is fourth best in NFL history among all backs with 300-plus attempts. However, due to frequent injuries, Mostert has had just 465 career rushing attempts over eight seasons, and he has played more than 11 games in a season just twice.

Wilson saw his production taper off last season during a five-game losing streak in December. Wilson finished the season with a combined 860 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 176 carries between Miami and San Francisco.

Wilson averaged 10.5 carries and 2.8 targets per game with the Dolphins over eight games.

Despite facing heavy boxes at a very high rate, Wilson owns a solid 4.5 yards-per-carry rate on 474 career attempts. In five seasons, he has rushed for 2,125 yards and has scored 23 total touchdowns.

ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques and Mike Clay contributed to this report.