Frank Gore spent only three of his three of his 16 NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, but he definitely earned the respect of Blue Nation.
Now the rugged running back is ready to retire from the NFL. He was expected to sign a one-day contract Thursday with San Francisco so he can retire as a 49er, according to Cam Inman with Bay Area News Group.
Gore spent 10 seasons in San Francisco, the franchise that picked him in the third round (65th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. The tough-nosed runner endured a pair of ACL tears during his college career at the University of Miami (FL).
A durable back in the NFL, Gore rushed for 16,000 yards during his career, good for third place on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list.
Gore played for the Colts from 2015 through 2017, starting 48 games in Indy. He ran for 2,953 yards and 13 touchdowns in his three seasons with the Colts.
He had a single 1,000-yard season in Indy, when he rushed for 1,025 yards in 2016. He came close in 2015 (967 yards) and 2017 (961 yards).
The team didn’t make the playoffs during Gore’s tenure, finishing 8-8 in consecutive seasons before the bottom fell out in 2017, when the Colts went 4-12 after Andrew Luck missed the season with a shoulder injury.
Gore came to Indy with high expectations as a marquee free agent signing with wide receiver Andre Johnson. While Johnson didn’t pan out, Gore quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his dedication to his craft and unmatched work ethic.
After leaving the Colts, Gore played a season each for the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. He hadn’t appeared in an NFL game since the 2020 season.