• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

San Francisco Sports Today

San Francisco Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Baseball
    • A’s
    • Giants
  • Football
    • 49’ers
    • Raiders
  • Basketball
    • Kings
    • Warriers
  • Sharks
  • Earthquakes
  • Colleges
    • San Jose State
    • Stanford
    • University of California, Berkeley

Kyle Shanahan explains why 49ers didn't sign Frank Gore

September 23, 2021 by Niners Wire

Legendary 49ers running back Frank Gore is without a team for the first time since he was selected by San Francisco in Round 3 of the 2005 NFL draft. Injury issues have obliterated the 49ers’ backfield depth in the first two weeks and led the club to make a number of acquisitions at the position. While some fans were hopeful to see a reunion with the team’s all-time leading rusher, the team made a slew of other additions instead.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the possibility of Gore making his way back to the Bay Area. While Shanahan didn’t rule it out, it didn’t sound like they were particularly close to making that acquisition.

“I think I would never put anything past Frank. I know if you probably give him a little heads up and some notice he’ll always be ready to work and help a team,” Shanahan said. “I thought it was a little early for that. Our guys still have a chance of playing this week. So, we looked at it as an opportunity with not having 53 on our roster to try to steal someone off someone else’s practice squad, which we did. And then try to add a practice squad guy, which we did with Chris (Thompson). So, we’ve never fully ruled that out. I don’t know exactly where he is right now, but I’ve got a number of people in here who have a relationship with him. If that time ever comes that we need to do that and he wants to do it then I would never rule it out.”

Instead of working out Gore, the 49ers worked out Duke Johnson, TJ Yeldon and Lamar Miller. They added Kerryon Johnson and Thompson to their practice squad, and then added Jacques Patrick off the Bengals practice squad since he participated in preseason and has played football recently.

While it would undoubtedly be cool for fans to see Gore suit up in red and gold again, chances are he’s way down the list of players Shanahan would reach out to at this point.

Gore is 38-years old and averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry for the Jets last season. Since leaving the 49ers in 2015 he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per carry after posting 4.5 during his tenure with San Francisco. He could help the team in specific ways, but getting outside on outside zone runs is probably not one of them at this point of his career. That limits the area for him on the active roster. Not to mention he hasn’t played football since last season, which means he’d at best be given a practice squad spot to try to get in playing shape.

Prime Frank Gore would be elite in Shanahan’s offense, but he’s past that at this point, and his return to San Francisco should wait until his number is officially retired and he’s inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.

Related

Week 2 NFL power rankings: 49ers stay put after win vs. Eagles

Like this article?

Sign up for the Niners Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning

An error has occured

Please re-enter your email address.

Thanks for signing up!

You’ll now receive the top Niners Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

Filed Under: 49'ers

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Logan Webb Start Tonight Offers Chance To Practice “Adaptive Managing”
  • Former 49ers defensive lineman has Brock Purdy’s back
  • Can you guess this 49ers specialist in today’s in-5 trivia game?
  • Saturday BP: Who do you think was the Player of the Week?
  • Verlander + Giants = loss

Categories

  • 49'ers
  • A's
  • Earthquakes
  • Giants
  • Kings
  • Raiders
  • San Jose State
  • Sharks
  • Stanford
  • Uncategorized
  • University of California, Berkeley
  • Warriers

Archives

  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021

Our Partners

All Sports

  • San Francisco Chronicle
  • San Francisco Examiner
  • The Mercury News
  • 247 Sports
  • Bleacher Report
  • Forgotten 5
  • Golden Gate Sports
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • The Spun
  • USA Today

Baseball

  • San Francisco Giants
  • Oakland A's
  • Last Word On Baseball - Oakland A's
  • Last Word On Baseball - San Francisco Giants
  • MLB Trade Rumors - A's
  • MLB Trade Rumors - Giants
  • White Cleat Beat
  • Around The Foghorn
  • Athletics Nation
  • McCovey Chronicles

Basketball

  • Golden State Warriors
  • Sacramento Kings
  • A Royal Pain
  • Amico Hoops - Kings
  • Amico Hoops - Warriors
  • Blue Man Hoop
  • Golden State Of Mind
  • Hoops Hype - Warriors
  • Hoops Hype - Kings
  • Hoops Rumors - Warriors
  • Hoops Rumors - Kings
  • Lets Go Warriors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball - Golden State
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball - Sacramento
  • Pro Basketball Talk - Warriors
  • Pro Basketball Talk - Kings
  • Real GM - Warriors
  • Real GM - Kings
  • Sactown Royalty

Football

  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • 49ers Gab
  • Just Blog Baby
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors - San Francisco 49ers
  • NFL Trade Rumors - Las Vegas Raiders
  • Niners Nation
  • Niner Noise
  • Niners Wire
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Rumors - 49ers
  • Pro Football Rumors - Raiders
  • Pro Football Talk - 49ers
  • Pro Football Talk - Raiders
  • Raiders Wire
  • Silver And Black Pride
  • Total 49ers

Hockey

  • Blades Of Teal
  • Fear The Fin
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • The Hockey Writers

Soccer

  • Center Line Soccer
  • Last Word on Soccer
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • Busting Brackets
  • California Golden Blogs
  • College Sports Madness
  • College Football News
  • Rule Of Tree
  • Saturday Blitz
  • The Daily Californian
  • The Stanford Daily
  • Zags Blog

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in