Frank Gore Buys Pizza For The Press In Potential Farewell Gesture
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - The 49ers head coach is headed out of town, but the team's heart and soul may not be far behind.
The drama around Jim Harbaugh's tenure in San Francisco has been swirling since off-season rumors that he was almost traded to Cleveland. Now that he is apparently landing in Ann Arbor to coach his alma mater, it's time to glance again at the subplot that may have gone unnoticed by the casual fan: Frank Gore may never suit up again for the San Francisco 49ers.
On Monday, Gore delivered more than a dozen pies during a scheduled press meeting in Santa Clara:
"I just wanted to thank you all," said Gore, now a free agent. At 31 - which is considered over the hill for an NFL rusher - demands of a contract in the ballpark of the $6.5 million he made this year could scare away many teams.
Some in local media speculated that this was Gore's last official move as a 49er:
Though he did give fans some reason for hope that they would see him again:
The veteran has been the most reliable offensive threat almost since the instant he jointed the team a decade ago. The all-time 49er rushing leader put up 144 yards against Arizona's stout defense in Sunday's win. At the same time, he hit 11,000 mark for his career and became the 20th most prolific rusher in league history.
If he leaves, the 2015 49ers will be without their most recognizable coach since Bill Walsh and their most consistent offensive producer since Jerry Rice. The team could also lose former #1 pick wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who is also a free agent.
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