Some players just want to play ball forever. It seems like veteran running back Frank Gore certainly qualifies — he’s played in 15 NFL seasons and now sits third on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 15,347 yards. And if he has it his way, he’s not done yet either.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald shared yesterday that Gore had a very simple message he wanted Jackson to share with Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier:
“I would love if he would bring me back,” said Gore via Jackson.
Gore’s first season in Miami was considered a successful one. He wrangled primary ball carrier duties away from Kenyan Drake, led the team in rushing yards with 722 and averaged 4.6 yards per carry for a team that generally speaking didn’t have a lot of consistent success winning battles up front along the offensive line.
Would bringing Gore back in 2020 make sense for Miami? Not exactly. Miami does need leadership and experience, Ryan Fitzpatrick showed how much value that can bring to a position room last season. But the Dolphins also need fresh legs and they need explosiveness out of the backfield. And Gore, for all of his savvy and toughness and durability, isn’t going to help the Dolphins win blocks up front.
Of course Gore would like to be back — he’s a South Florida native and the Dolphins are one of a handful of teams that would actually have a clear role for the aging Gore in their backfield. But Miami would have to pull a sudden change in direction in the backfield to bring him back for another go.
