NFL running backs have usually thrown in the towel by age 38, but it’s a different story for former San Francisco 49ers tailback, Frank Gore.
Gore, 38, isn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet. In fact, he’s been training in Miami and told the Murph and Mac Podcast during an episode on Wednesday that he’s confident that he still has enough juice left in him.
“I know that I can still play the game, I know I can help a team,” Gore said. “But it’s also got to be the right situation that I feel that I can be on a team that could go to the playoffs and get a chance to probably go to the Super Bowl. I know that I can still play the game of football, but I also want to be in the right situation on the right team.”
When questioned about a return to the Niners, Gore was all in, but he knows it’s highly unlikely since the team just drafted two rookie running backs in April.
“I would love that, but we’ll see,” Gore said. “I know that they drafted two running backs and I know how this league works. I know they want to give the young guys the first opportunity to see what they’ve got. If they call me, I’ll be ready.”
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Gore’s Impressive NFL Career Summed up
Gore was originally drafted by the 49ers in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft out of Miami.
He had a breakout year in 2006 and it only went up from there as he notched 1,200 total yards each season from ’06 to 2017. Gore didn’t spend his entire NFL career with the Niners, but all of his Pro Bowl seasons (five) and one All-Pro campaign happened in the Bay Area.
He spent two seasons (2015-17) with the Indianapolis Colts, one with the Miami Dolphins (2018), one with the Buffalo Bills (2019), and last season with the New York Jets. He was still able to reach 742 yards a disastrous Jets team last year.
Gore’s 16,000 rushing yards rank No. 3 all-time, with only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton ahead of him on the list. And in San Francisco, Gore remains the all-time leading rusher with 11,073 yards.
Does Signing Gore Make Sense for the 49ers?
While signing Gore would make for a “happily ever after” ending, it doesn’t make sense.
The 49ers currently have Raheem Moster ready to carry the run game as RB1 next season. Behind him, the Niners traded up for former Ohio State star Trey Sermon in the third round of the draft and added Elijah Mitchell in the sixth round. And before the draft even went down, the 49ers added Giants’ leading rusher Wayne Gallman in free agency.
Of course, you never know what head coach Kyle Shanahan might have up his sleeve and Gore will be just fine, even if retirement is calling this year.
“I talked to a couple of teams, but my agent told me not to put no teams’ names out there. I kind of want to wait until training camp. I want to feel that. I want to wait to see, is the right situation for me? Right now, I’m just enjoying the family, working out, and if a team calls, and I feel like it’s right, I’m [going to] do it. If I don’t like the situation, I’ll say forget it and retire. I’ve been blessed. I’ve been blessed 16 years. I think about when I came in; I wanted to play two or three.”
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Future Hall of Famer ‘Would Love’ to Return to the 49ers