5 NFL RBs who could be out of a job in 2025 feat. Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison

Running back is one of the most punishing positions in football. That's why teams nowadays have moved away from the practice of having one rusher carry the load, instead preferring to divide it between two to three players.

Still, there are outliers. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have been dominant, each man hitting at least 1,000 yards for the 2024 season. Others, like Joe Mixon and Josh Jacobs, are nearing that mark.

And then there are these guys - those who have underwhelmed and find themselves on the outside looking in when the lew league year begins in around three and a half months' time.

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#5 Raheem Mostert

Miami Dolphins v Los Angeles Rams - Source: Getty

This is a painful name to mention, but Raheem Mostert hasn't looked like the surprise of the 2023 season, when he led the league in rushing and total touchdowns, with 21.

With DeVon Achane firmly entrenching himself as the main starter and rookie Jaylen Wright also getting meaningful snaps, it's safe to say that he may have reached the end of a uniquely fascinating career.

#4 Ty Johnson

Kansas City Chiefs v Buffalo Bills - Source: Getty

Ty Johnson has been mostly irrelevant in every team he has played. First, it was with the Detroit Lions, who waived him in the middle of his sophomore season. He then joined the New York Jets during their notorious 2-14 campaign but failed to impress before being released in 2023 after a preseason injury.

Now with the Buffalo Bills, he may have been completely surpassed as the RB2 by rookie Ray Davis. That doesn't bode well for his future prospects.

#3 Alexander Mattison

Las Vegas Raiders v Cincinnati Bengals - Source: Getty

The Las Vegas Raiders have been a poor offensive team in 2024. For all his faults, Derek Carr was a serviceable quarterback who had some Pro Bowls and playoff appearances, but his successors have completely wasted the talents of the cast he left behind.

It gets worse. Remember when the Raiders also had Josh Jacobs, one of the most promening running backs in the league? Since his departure in 2023, no one has come even close to replicating his successes, especially Alexander Mattison.

The former Minnesota Viking has looked like a total franchise bust, and it may not be long before he's out of the league entirely.

#2 Miles Sanders

Cincinnati Bengals v Carolina Panthers - Source: Getty

When the Carolina Panthers signed Miles Sanders during the 2023 offseason, analysts thought that they were getting the thousand-yard Pro Bowler who had helped the Philadelphia Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII. Instead, they are getting a shell of him - often injured and terrible when he does play.

Chuba Hubbard destroyed him the first time they shared a roster, and Jonathon Brooks may follow suit thereafter. Soon, no one will want to deal with such heavily damaged goods.

#1 Dalvin Cook

Dallas Cowboys v San Francisco 49ers - Source: Getty

Once upon a time, Dalvin Cook was considered the next Adrian Peterson - the Minnesota Vikings' future great running back. Between 2019 and 2022, he was phenomenal, hitting a thousand yards and making the Pro Bowl in all those seasons.

Since then, it has been nothing but dismal play. He was a non-factor with the New York Jets, didn't contribute much during the Baltimore Ravens' playoff run and has failed to solve the Dallas Cowboys' ground game problems.

It's highly doubtful that any teams will want to sign him after such a sharp decline, but here's the worst part about that notion: he will only be approaching 30 by the time it happens.