MIAMI (AP) Even though Frank Gore’s ironman streak is about to end, he wants to keep going.
The injured Miami Dolphins running back has decided against retirement and hopes to play a 15th NFL season next year, a person familiar with the situation said Friday. The person confirmed the decision to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Gore had not commented publicly.
The NFL’s leading active rusher suffered a season-ending sprained foot last week against Minnesota , but the injury won’t require surgery. The 35-year-old Gore has played in 126 consecutive games with 122 starts in a row.
Those streaks are the longest by an NFL offensive skill player, and they’ll end Sunday when Miami plays Jacksonville .
Last week Gore said he was uncertain whether he wanted to play next year. He signed a one-year contract in March with the Dolphins, and another season with his hometown team is a possibility.
”We’ll sit down after the season is over. We’re not in a rush right now,” coach Adam Gase said. ”There were times in the season where I could tell he’s not ready to be close to it being done. We’ll sit down and talk about everything and figure it out.”
Gore leads the Dolphins with 722 yards rushing, and his average of 4.6 yards per carry is his highest since 2012. He went on injured reserve Wednesday.
”It’s disappointing considering the amount of games, the amount of starts that he’s had in a row,” Gase said. ”I wish he could’ve finished this out.”
Gore is fourth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list with 14,748 yards, and fifth in yards from scrimmage. Since turning 32 in 2015, he’s the league’s fifth-leading rusher.
”He’s a special person; he’s a special player,” Gase said. ”It’s hard to find somebody that’s really done anything comparable to him, especially the way football is now and how he’s run early in his career. To last this long and then to produce the way he has at this age is just something you just probably won’t ever see again.”
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