Raiders: 3 backup running backs to target in free agency
By Justin Fried
3. Frank Gore
Frank Gore continues to defy the logic of Father Time as the ageless wonder is set to return to the NFL for a remarkable 16th season in 2020. For any football player, that’s an absolutely incredible feat.
But for a running back, it’s completely unheard of.
Gore will be 37-years-old in May and if he takes the field in 2020, he will tie Raiders great Marcus Allen for the oldest running back to ever play in an NFL game. That in and of itself is an amazing accomplishment.
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But Gore isn’t just some washed-up veteran holding on to his glory days. The longtime San Francisco 49ers running back can still go.
Gore played in all 16 games in 2019, starting eight, and rushed for 599 yards and two touchdowns on 166 carries for a 3.6 average. Not incredible, but respectable nonetheless. In fact, he averaged the same yards per carry that DeAndre Washington did last year.
And the year before, playing behind a porous Miami Dolphins offensive line, Gore rushed for 722 yards and a stellar 4.6 yards per carry average — at age 35. Gore is still incredibly valuable as a veteran, short-yardage back and his durability should prove invaluable to any NFL franchise.
If the Raiders are looking for a reliable and affordable veteran presence to back up Jacobs in 2020, they could do far worse than bringing Gore with them to Las Vegas.