San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert said Wednesday that he has pulled out of a scheduled autograph session due to the coronavirus.
Mostert said on Twitter that he won’t attend Sunday’s event at the Santa Clara Convention Center “due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus in the Bay Area.”
Earlier Wednesday, the state of California announced its first death due to the coronavirus. The death occurred in Roseville in Northern California, not far from the capital city of Sacramento.
It is the 11th death nationwide attributed to the illness.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday.
Mostert cited family reasons in his decision, saying he has an 8-month-old son and another child expected to arrive this fall.
“As a husband and father, it is my job to put my family first,” Mostert said. “Thank you all for your understanding. I will make it up to you soon!”
Mostert rushed for a franchise-record 220 yards and scored four touchdowns as the 49ers pummeled the Green Bay Packers 37-20 in January’s NFC Championship Game. The output, which came on 29 carries, is the second highest in NFL postseason history behind Eric Dickerson (248 in the 1985 postseason).
In the regular season, Mostert rushed for 772 yards and eight touchdowns without starting any games.