Frank Gore didn't seriously consider retirement this offseason, deciding to continue his career by joining the New York Jets, his third stop on an AFC East team the past three years.
The ageless running back said he knows he still has gas left in the tank.
"I didn't (consider retiring) because... the first 6-7 games (with the Bills last season), I was ballin'... I felt like I could still do it," Gore said Thursday, via Manish Mehta of the NY Daily News.
Gore enters his 16th NFL season. He spent last year in Buffalo, where he carried 166 times in 16 games for 599 yards with two touchdowns while splitting reps with rookie Devin Singletary. In his first six games with the Bills, he carried 86 times for 388 yards (4.5 YPA). In 2018, Gore was with Adam Gase in Miami, where he averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 156 totes.
Reuniting with Gase in New York, Gore knows his role is to give Le'Veon Bell a breather. It's a duty he's glad to fill.
"I'm cool. I'm happy to even be playing this game at my age," he said.
Gore last carried the ball fewer than 150 times in his rookie campaign all the way back in 2005. With Bell set to be the lead runner in New York, the 37-year-old Gore could see a career-low in carries this season.
Playing for his fifth team, and fourth in the past four years, Gore is thrilled to carry any role that keeps his NFL career chugging along. He noted he's in New York to help mentor younger backs and aid Gang Green in trying to overtake the division.
With Tom Brady finally gone, Gore joined a host of players from the AFC East viewing the division as "wide open."
If the Jets are to be the team to finally end the Patriots' streak of dominance, they will need a lot more out of Sam Darnold and Bell than they got last season. Having a workout warrior and professional like Gore in the building can only help the rest of the roster get the most from their talents.
