Despite being the oldest player in the NFL at his position, Frank Gore never considered hanging up his cleats this offseason.
Gore spoke to the media for the first time since signing with the Jets on Thursday. On a Zoom call, Gore was asked if he had thought about retiring. He hadn’t.
“I felt like I still could do it,” Gore told reporters. “I just had to see what team would give me an opportunity.”
The 37-year-old even consulted with his son, Frank Jr., a running back like his dad who is beginning his freshman year at Southern Miss. Frank Jr. agreed with his father that he could still play at a high level.
“He said, ‘I think you could go one more,'” Gore said. “So, I said, all right, I’m going to go.”
Gore signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth $1.05 million. He’ll serve as the No. 2 running back behind Le’Veon Bell. Gore should see a good share of the carries, considering Adam Gase wants to lessen the load for Bell in 2020.
Gore was fascinated by New York, primarily because of Gase. The two spent the 2008 season together in San Francisco with Gore being the lead back and Gase as an offensive assistant. They then reunited in Miami in 2018.
“I’ve known Adam for a long time,” Gore told SNY’s Jeane Coakley. “He’s been a great man to me.”