Frank Gore wants to come back to the 49ers — and not just to retire

Frank Gore said in 2019 that he planned to retire as a 49er. He also said last month that he is interested in playing for a 17th season.

So why not take care of both with a single contract?

Friday morning in an appearance on 95.7 The Game, Gore said he’d be interested in returning to the 49ers this offseason for one final go-round in red and gold.

“I’d come back fast. Man, I would love to wear that No. 21 jersey one more time. If that was to happen, that would definitely be my last year, if I would come back this summer,” Gore said on ‘The Morning Roast’, adding that he thought the Niners could have been Super Bowl contenders this season if not for a rash of injuries.

“And you know, if they didn’t get a bunch of injuries (in 2020), I thought they would have been right back in it, you know, had a chance to run for it again ‘cause, you know, of the way the coaches call the game, and they got some great players over there.”

That’s a lot of positive talk for a free agent, and it appears Gore, 37, has been in communication with the 49ers this offseason — at least the public relations department. Gore released a statement through the team lauding his former running backs coach in San Francisco, Tom Rathman, who retired last week from the same job with the Colts.

Gore played last year, his 16th in the NFL, with the 2-14 New York Jets, so even the Niners’ injury-riddled 6-10 season would represent a welcome improvement. He started 14 games for the Jets in 2020 and ran for 653 yards on 187 carries.

Prior to that, he spent a year each with the Bills and Dolphins, and three with the Colts, all after the 49ers let him walk in free agency in 2015.

Now, it appears the 49ers could bring Gore, the NFL’s No. 3 rusher of all time, back into their locker room if they want a veteran to fill out the running back corps behind Raheem Mostert and newly signed Jeff Wilson Jr.

“You gotta tell Jed and Kyle just bring me back,” Gore said.

The 49ers may not represent Gore’s best shot at the 727 yards needed to pass Walter Payton for second in career rushing yards behind only Emmitt Smith, but they surely represent the sentimental favorite for Gore — plus he could pad his 3,729yard lead over Joe Perry for the 49ers’ franchise rushing record.