Frank Gore edges one step closer to football immortality in a moment fans didn’t realize would hit this hard.QQ
Niners fans know the truth.
San Francisco 49ers fans know all too well legendary running back Frank Gore is deserving of a gold jacket and permanent enshrinement in Canton, Ohio.
It appears as if the vote-makers for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2026 understand that fact pretty well, too.
A day after the Niners upended the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football, secured by an electrifying performance by running back Christian McCaffrey, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 26 candidates as semifinalists for the 2026 class.
Gore, rightfully so, was included on the list, marking his first year of eligibility:
The Niners’ all-time leading rusher, who spent 10 years in the Bay Area and was an offensive mainstay during both good times and bad for San Francisco, ultimately finished his 16-year NFL career with exactly 16,000 rushing yards.
That figure ranks third all time, trailing only Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. In fact, the five-time Pro Bowler is among 17 all-time rushers, all but three of which — Gore, Adrian Peterson and still-playing Derrick Henry — have been inducted into Canton.
By that measure, Gore is a shoo-in.
Frank Gore rightfully deserves to be in Pro Football Hall of Fame
49ers fans don’t need justification for Gore’s placement into the Hall of Fame. Yet there’ll likely be some arguments against his induction, at least on a first-time ballot.
True, Gore’s numbers were aided by longevity. Despite nine seasons in which he had at least 1,000 rush yards, he never once led the league in that category over a single season, and he only secured one second-team All-Pro nod during that lengthy span.
At a time when running backs were held in more value than today’s pass-happy offenses, some might see this as a slight against Gore’s candidacy.
In contrast, though, longevity should be celebrated. Gore played until he was 37 years old, long after most tailbacks call it a career, and the fact the bulk of his youthful seasons were spent on some awfully bad Niners teams only speaks to his importance and fortitude.
If anything, simply trying to cement a sound argument against Gore getting in makes it tougher to keep him out.
Gold jacket, plain and simple.
