Bills Make Big Move on Fan-Favorite Running Back for MNF

Getty Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. during a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium on August 24, 2024.

After a standout preseason that won over fans, running back Frank Gore Jr. will finally make his debut for the Buffalo Bills.

The team announced on Oct. 14 that Gore was elevated from the practice squad for the Monday Night Football game against the New York Jets. The son of former Bills running back Frank Gore joined the team as an undrafted free agent this offseason and earned a place on the practice squad after a strong performance in training camp and the preseason.

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Gore could have the chance to play a meaningful role for a Bills team hit with a key injury in the backfield in the last week.

Bills Missing Top Running Back

The Bills head into Monday’s game without their top running back after James Cook was hurt in the team’s Week 5 loss to the Houston Texans. As Bobby Kownack of the NFL Network reported, Cook was listed as inactive for the game with a toe injury.

“Cook seemed to suffer the injury on a failed catch in the fourth quarter of a 23-20 Week 5 loss to the Texans, after which he sat out two practices this week,” Kownack wrote. “He managed limited participation Saturday and received a questionable designation, giving a glimmer of hope he could suit up, but he’ll instead miss the finale to Week 6.”

Cook has been the team’s top running threat out of the backfield, rushing 70 times for 309 yards with four touchdowns — matching his total number of touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons.

Monday’s game could have big implications for the division. The Bills come into the game at 3-2, with the 2-3 Jets able to move into a tie with a key tiebreaker with a win. The Bills will also be looking to rebound after consecutive losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Texans.

Frank Gore’s Fast Preseason Rise

Gore turned heads in the preseason, rushing for 101 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown in the 31-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the team’s preseason finale on Aug. 24. He had a standout four-year career at Southern Mississippi, rushing for 4,022 yards with 26 touchdowns and adding 682 receiving yards with four receiving touchdowns.

The 22-year-old had a connection to the city even before being signed by the Bills, saying he recalled attending games in Buffalo when his father played for the team in the 2019 season.

“It was great,” Gore Jr. said, via CBS Sports. “I came to like three games. It was cold when they played the Jets at the end of the season. This is one of the most enthusiastic places I’ve ever been.”

The younger Gore added that his father pushed hard for him to sign with the Bills after leaving college and going undrafted.

“Knowing that my dad wanted me here. I wanted to be here,” Gore Jr. said. “When me and Coach Skip [Kelly Skipper] met over the process, I just got the vibe that he’s the type of coach that I need to get better and the type of coach that I want to be the best player that I can possibly be.”