Frank Gore has authored one of the more remarkable careers in modern NFL history, and the player who now sits third on the league’s all-time rushing list is still not ready to retire.
The 36-year-old running back is once again a free agent, after his one-year Bills deal led to a playoff appearance. Rather than pause on exploring his next opportunity to consider retirement, Gore will explore his options on the market.
“I want to play,” Gore said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “I feel I showed people I can play when I got my opportunities. Just seeing if a team wants me.”
Gore reached one-year agreements with the Dolphins and Bills in 2018 and ’19, respectively. Although the rebuilding Dolphins moved on from him, Gore said he would welcome a return to his native Miami for the 2020 season, per Jackson. Gore will turn 37 in May.
The Bills gave Gore a key role for much of the season, starting him in eight games and keeping him in their rotation throughout the season. He gained a season-high 109 rushing yards against the Patriots in Week 4 and surpassed Barry Sanders on the all-time rushing list. The future Hall of Famer trails only Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton now. However, Gore averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry — after a 4.6 YPC season in Miami — and has now logged 3,548 career carries. That ranks third all time. Excluding Adrian Peterson, Gore has totaled over 1,000 more carries than any other active back who played a full 2019 season.
Since the merger, Marcus Allen is the only running back (non-fullback) to play an age-37 season. Gore’s carry total already surpasses Allen’s by 500, but the former 49ers Pro Bowler’s pattern of landing work and continued durability (two missed games over the past nine seasons) since leaving San Francisco point to a 16th season being in play.
Why is he a future HOF? Because of his longevity? Take out that 1600 season and he’s average.
You’re seriously doubting whether he’s a hall of famer by calling him average?
What has he done that’s so spectacular? Played 17 seasons?
The fact you have to ask leads me to believe you don’t truly understand.
Pretty lame defense. He’s been average over a long period of time. HOF shouldn’t be based on longevity
Enjoy sack lunch
Lol lame
It should be at the running back position. 3rd most rushing yards in history is a hall of famer. Is he Jim Brown or Emmitt Smith or Walter Payton? Obviously not. But he still deserves to be in.
He probably never watched Gore or even knows the game. Don’t waste your time on him bro. Tjeck just here to fight
You can’t just take out a players best season when talking about their HOF case…… Gore has been a machine for so long and a no doubt hall of famer. Average RBs dont spit out 1k yard seasons
What? He’s a HOF’er because of his longevity, but he was also a stud in his SF days….not to mention he’s a true professional
An average of 69 yards a game in SF is a stud?
Over 1,000 yards a season for 8 out of 10 seasons and with over 4+ yards a carry in all 10 (over 4 yards) Yeah. That’s a stud. Only his rookie season and one off year. He averaged 4.6 with the dolphins in 2018. Bills just didn’t use him as much. Think you just don’t like him for some reason. Were you a different college fan or something?
Not at all but I don’t think that he is HOF worthy because of longevity.
No one is saying that. He is HOF worthy because of his statistical accomplishments. Tougher to make the “compiler” argument that is so prevalent in MLB HOF debates when discussing football players, especially running backs who have an average career of four seasons.
Curious can you name which rbs have more 1,000 yd rushing seasons than Gore? Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Curtis Martin. All hall of famers
he is 3rd on the all time list for yds as listed above (both hall of famers)
9th on yds per carry out of top 30 total carries with only fred taylor and tiki barber being higher and not in the hall of fame.
So yes i think he is Hall of fame worthy even if you measure just his annual stats and for how long he did it. There might have been individual that had spurts better while he played but how many other than AP are still here doing it and at a quality level.
[Insert Disagreement]
I agree but i mean Edgerrin James made it in so Gore will definitely make it in. I will say its definitely impressive he is still getting things done at his age when RBs are usually done after 10 years
Neat!
TJ is right. A player who can only gain 10.93 miles of yardage has no business being in the HOF…lol.
That’s your argument that it’s 10.93 miles? So anyone who plays 20 or 25 years if needed to reach that point is a HOF?
You apparently think it’s touch football they are playing out there.
I have nothing against Frank Gore, I just don’t believe a guy is HOF worthy if it takes him more seasons to accomplish what others did. I don’t agree with Bill Cowher either. Gore is a good back but I don’t think of him as a guy that has ever carried a team very long
Isn’t the fact that he was good enough to be wanted for 16+ seasons at a premium position Mean something? While I agree he was never earth shattering like the others you’ve mentioned but the fact he’s been consistently good (sometimes great) for a decade and a half has to mean something. I don’t think he’s first ballot necessarily but I 100% know he makes the hall and agree with the decision.
Literally only two running backs in NFL history have more yards than him. If it were so easy to get 15,000 yards, then more RBs would have it. I don’t understand how on earth you think an average RB can hang around for long enough to amass 15,000 yards. You simply do not understand NFL football.
Crazy enough I actually agree with Tjecks logic on this one. He’s simply saying having a very long “good” career doesn’t necessarily warrant hall of fame consideration. Gore truly never had any really “great” years. It’s simply a disagreement that longevity isn’t considered hall of fame worthy. Gore is a really good player who played for 17 seasons and stock piled statistics. I don’t believe that he’s a (was a) player capable of ever carrying a team.
I get your point but it’s not like he’s a long snapper that played for 17 seasons. An RB that takes that beating and lasts that long deserved it IMO.
He’s going to be the first RB to play till he is 40 lol