Even at age 38, Frank Gore remains confident he can be a contributor on an NFL team in 2021. The former 49ers tailback spent last year with the New York Jets, rushing for 653 yards and two touchdowns on 187 carries.
Gore told KNBR last week that he believes he can help a team next season, but NBC Sports' Peter King writes that the veteran's best opportunity might be joining a team midseason that is hampered by injuries at the running back position.
"The best thing for Gore is to stay in shape—he’ll be doing that till he’s 93—and wait till a team gets two running-back injuries and needs a veteran who can grind out yards between the tackles. That’s what I’d do if I were him," King wrote in his latest Football Morning in America column.
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Gore spent his first 10 seasons with the 49ers, and said he would relish a chance to return to the organization that selected him 65th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft.
"I would love that, but we’ll see," Gore said about a potential 49ers return. "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."
RELATED: How Gore helped 49ers draft Lance No. 3 over other QBs
The 49ers selected Ohio State's Trey Sermon in the third round of the 2021 draft, and also took Louisiana-Lafayette's Elijah Mitchell in the sixth round.
San Francisco 49ers
There's no question Gore will put in the work this offseason to be ready for an opportunity, but it remains to be seen just where the veteran will find a fit.
Gore told NBC Sports Bay Area last season that he has spoken with 49ers brass and no matter when his playing career draws to a close, he'd like to retire as a member of the first franchise to grant him a chance in the NFL.
It doesn't sound like the running back is ready to hang up his cleats just yet.