He will not play for the Jets in Sunday’s final season against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
He will probably never play for the Jets again – or any other player.
When the 2-13 Jets conclude their miserable 2020 season on Sunday, veteran running back Frank Gore will be back home with the injured lung he suffered in last week’s game against the Browns.
But 37-year-old Gore left his mark on all the Jets players he played with this season. It was a gift for younger players, who saw what it takes to be a professional athlete.
In a brutal game that chews and spits running backs as the current President of the United States burps tweets, Gore was the last survivor.
The NFL is an acronym for the National Football League as much as it is for “not for long”, with an average career span of 3.3 years. For running backs, that number is even lower – a career expectation of 2.57 years.
Gore played 16 years, 241 games, ran the ball 3,735 times for exactly 16,000 yards with 81 running touchdowns.
Gore’s 48-yard run against the Browns last week left him behind only Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726) in race yards.
If you listen to those whose lives he has touched, it is clear that Gore’s greatness goes far beyond his numbing numbers.
“He’s a great football player, but an even better person,” said 23-year-old Jets runner Ty Johnson. “He is the model for a professional athlete. ”
Guard Greg Van Roten called what Gore did “incredible”, adding: “He does everything physically and mentally to prepare … and is bringing others with him. It’s been quite an experience sharing a locker room with Frank. As O-linemen, we were very aware of that 16,000 yard mark. Every week it was: ‘How many meters more does Frank need? What do we have to do with it? ‘
“He got it right on the nose and I couldn’t be happier for him. ”
In fact, Gore’s last carry of the season – like Jet and quite possibly his career – had a 4-yard gain in the fourth quarter against the Browns. Those yards gave him 16,000 for his career.
It is unclear whether it was in this play that he suffered from an injured lung, but Gore did not play another after that.
“Frank was an inspiration to all of us,” said quarterback Sam Darnold. “He’s just a special player, a special human being. He was placed on this land to play football. It was unbelievable to see him play and I am proud to call him a companion and friend. ”
Coach Adam Gase, who first came close to Gore in 2008 as a 49ers offensive assistant and then brought him to Miami, said he believed Gore “impacted anyone who approached him in the building, be it a player, coach, team member” . ‘
Gore is not the first Hall of Fame player to play the Jets in the twilight of his career.
Assuming he eventually gets voted into the Hall (out of the top 16 career brokers, all but Gore and Adrian Peterson, who is also active, are), Gore will be the eighth Hall of Fame to have a cup of coffee with Jatos at the end career since 1993.
Security Ronnie Lott played for the Jets in 1993 and 94 after 10 seasons in San Francisco and two in Oakland, ending his career at Jets.
Receiver Art Monk played for Jets in 1994 after 14 seasons in Washington and played another season in Philadelphia before retiring.
Security Steve Atwater played for Jets 1999, after 10 years in Denver, ending his career in New York.
Quarterback Brett Favre played for the Jets in 2008, after 16 seasons at Green Bay, and then played two more in Minnesota before retiring.
Running back LaDanian Tomlinson played for the Jets in 2010 and ’11 after nine seasons in San Diego and ended his career as a Jet.
Security Ed Reed played the last seven games of the 2013 season with the Jets after 11 seasons in Baltimore and the first part of the 13 season in Houston, and his last NFL game was like a jet.
Defensive side Jason Taylor played for the Jets in 2010, after 12 seasons in Miami and one in Washington, and ended his career with another year in Miami before retiring.
All seven of these players were voted for the Hall of Fame.
Gore, as soon as he is eligible, will have his own bust there too.
Asked if he expects Gore to continue playing or hang up after this season, Gase said: “I said that a long time ago: ‘Never doubt Frank Gore.’ ”