How is Frank Gore still playing football?
Frank Gore is in his late 40s and somehow still racking up NFL carries and yards.
With everyone on the line for the Seattle Seahawks in their Monday Night Football showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, it wasn’t Russell Wilson or star rookie running back A.J. Barber (son of Tiki Barber) who came up big for head coach Shaun Alexander.
It was 47-year-old running back Frank Gore? You better believe it. With 54 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter and Seattle down by five points, Gore somehow broke free for a 48-yard score to give the Seahawks a thrilling 31-29 victory.
With the win, the Seahawks are now only one game back of the Los Angeles Rams, who of course entered the season as the co-favorites along with the Cincinnati Bengals to win the Super Bowl this season. Seattle and LA will face off next week.
But right now, Gore is the talk of the town and rightfully so. After spending the past nine seasons with the New York Jets, who offered him a lifetime contract that was never accepted, the 5-foot-9 Gore signed with Seattle over the summer for what he said will “maybe” be his last year in the NFL.
The man is like the energizer bunny -- he simply keeps on going. Fortunately for him, Gore hasn’t lost a step and his ability to keep running the ball like he’s 27 is why Alexander continues to give him 10-12 carries per game.
Everyone thought Gore would retire after the Jets went winless last season. On top of that, he was offered a three-year, $2.5 million deal to join Alex Smith as an analyst for NFL World Network. However, Seattle general manager Matt Hasselbeck put a one-year, $800,000 contract on the table, which Gore accepted following his visit to Seattle.
Now in his 26th NFL season, which blows every record out of the water, Gore is looking to end his career with a Super Bowl victory with the Seahawks. Should the team get that job done, Gore will also retire with more than 20,000 rushing yards to his name if he hangs up his cleats.
While teammates have pranked him by putting senior citizen signs around his locker and even purchased him a walking cane, Gore continues to defy all the odds and is playing at a high level despite be almost 50.