South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Frank Gore hopes to play one more season.
Injured running back’s goal is to return for his 15th and final campaign
DAVIE — Frank Gore autographed two photos of himself — one of him in San Francisco 49ers jersey and in a Miami Dolphins jersey — and asked a fan a question.
Which one of these do you want to see me in next year?
“The Dolphins one — for sure,” the fan said, a response that bought a smile to Gore’s face on Saturday during an autograph signing at Sinbad Sports in Davie.
Gore, the NFL’s fourth all-time leading rusher, returned to South Florida on Friday from Charlotte where he learned his injured left foot would not require surgery.
Gore will not play the final two games this season for his hometown Dolphins. But the former University of Miami great already has his eyes set on the future.
“The goal is to come back one more year,” Gore, a 14-year veteran, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I’ll see who wants me. Hopefully the Dolphins can resign me — that would be big. But you know how the business goes.”
Gore — who began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers, then the Indianapolis Colts — signed with the Dolphins this past offseason on a one-year deal. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, but would love for his return to South Florida to continue for one more season.
His foot injury is expected to be completely healed by March, close to when free agency is set to begin.
Gore led Miami with 722 rushing yards before suffering the injury after a 10-yard run against the Minnesota Vikings last week.
“I wanted to reach 1,000 yards, and I wanted to try to reach the playoffs with my teammates,” said Gore, who finished 154 yards shy of 1,000 yards for the 13th straight season. Only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have achieved the feat more, each doing it 14 times.
The Dolphins placed Gore on injured reserve Wednesday, ending his streaks of starting 122 consecutive games and playing in 126 consecutive games. He will miss Miami’s final two games, at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and the season finale at the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 30.
Gore has 14,748 career rushing yards, trailing only Emmitt Smith (18,355), Walter Payton (16,726) and Barry Sanders (15,269).
And he has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
“I want to show people I can play this game still,” Gore said. “As long as you love the game and train, it’s possible.”