The league's third all-time leading Rusher is close to hanging his moves for good.
Frank Gore told TheSFNiners.com this week that he plans to sign a one-day deal with the San Francisco 49ers, the team that drafted him, and is retiring from the NFL. it's only a matter of time.
"We're still trying to figure out when I'm going to sign my one-day contract," Gore said. "I told (boss) Jade York that I've always wanted to be a Niner. So we're working on that right now."
Gore hasn't played in the NFL since the 2020 season, when he tallied two touchdowns for his fifth NFL team, the New York Jets, for a total of 742 yards and 203 touches. Gore, a third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, spent the first 10 years of his career in San Francisco, rushing at least 1,000 yards in eight of those campaigns and was named to five Pro Bowls. Since then, the now-38-year-old has played for Indianapolis, Miami, Buffalo and New York.
Recently, Gore had taken up another sport: boxing. Gore trained and competed for an exhibition match against former NBA player Daron Williams in December. RB lost by split decision.
Leading up to the bout, Gore told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe that he would welcome another run in the Super Bowl, potentially with the Niners, but also indicated, "I'm happy where I am in life."
If he actually retires this offseason without returning to the field again, Gore would end up with 16,000 rushing yards, the third most in NFL history behind Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726). Peyton's total is within reach if Gore decides to return, but the retreat indicates that he is now more interested in valuing talent than in displaying himself.
“I love watching talent and I love evaluating talent and I love the ball,” Gore said, pointing to the future at the Niners front office. "They know I know football players, what it takes to be a football player."
Truly Blessed‼️🙏🏿 @49ers #ForeverGrateful #FTTB https://t.co/lOsDIpZXbD
— Frank Gore (@frankgore) April 3, 2022