Buffalo Bills RB Frank Gore doesn’t appear to be considering retirement

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore enters 2019 without the thought of retirement in mind.

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore is entering his 15th season in the NFL. For his position, playing over ten seasons as a pro is impressive and deserving of praise; he lapped that milestone long ago and doesn’t seem to plan to stop there.

According to Dave Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Gore intends to keep playing after he wraps up his 15th pro-year in Buffalo. He noted that he wishes to continue his career until his body can’t say the same, as he told the reporter:

"I just go how I feel. If I feel I can’t do it no more, then I call it."

Many thought Gore would be out of the league by now — not a particularly bold statement for a 36-year-old running back. However, he’s still kicking and doing an excellent job at it. Last season, playing in a committee with younger backs, Gore led the Miami Dolphins in rushing with 722 on a 4.6 yards per carry average. Perhaps more impressive: he did so despite missing two games.

Gore is the model of consistency in the NFL, and he’s subsequently seen himself move the ranks; in turn, boasting a Hall of Fame resume. Gore is currently fourth all-time in career rushing yards with 14,748. It’s possible that he can move up to third by the end of 2019, as he needs a reasonable 522 yards to catch Barry Sanders.

For Bills Mafia, one can expect Gore to continue doing what he does best. Never a flashy runner with a “Madden”-esque array of juke, spin, or other moves, the back is a hard-nosed, knows how to read lanes, push forward, and keeps the ball in his hands (1.2% career fumble rate). He’ll surely be a quality complement to a committee of talented backs that includes star LeSean McCoy, rookie Devin Singletary, and third-down ace T.J. Yeldon.

It’s unknown if Gore will play with Buffalo post-2019, as he’s on a one-year deal. He stated in the same article that he’d like to retire as a San Francisco 49er — the team that drafted him. Nonetheless, one could assume that he’ll continue his ageless play in Western New York while mentoring the younger backs on the roster — considering his age, everyone is a younger back.