Son of legendary RB to make NFL debut in Bills vs. Jets Week 6 clash

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. has been elevated from the practice squad for the team's Week 6 clash with the New York Jets.

Kyle Silagyi | Oct 14, 2024

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Buffalo Bills have elevated rookie running back Frank Gore Jr. to the active roster for their Week 6 Monday Night Football clash with the New York Jets, the team announced Monday evening. The matchup will be the rusher’s first career NFL appearance.

Gore Jr., who is aptly the son of legendary NFL (and momentary Buffalo) running back Frank Gore, signed with the Bills after going unselected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry throughout a four-year collegiate career at Southern Mississippi in which he rushed for 4,022 yards and 26 touchdowns, carrying this prowess into the 2024 preseason as he rushed for 163 yards in three games; per Pro Football Focus, an astounding 102—or 63%—of Gore Jr.’s yards came after contact.

He became a bit of a fan favorite throughout the preseason, which is only natural given his story and production. His elevation from the practice squad muddies the game status of reigning Pro Bowler James Cook, who missed a few practices throughout the week with a toe injury and was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report. Assuming Cook is inactive, Gore Jr. figures to slot in on the depth chart behind Ty Johnson and Ray Davis, though it wouldn’t be shocking to see him log some carries as the game progresses.

In what is quite a neat coincidence, Gore Jr. will be making his NFL debut in the stadium in which his father played his final game. Gore closed out his NFL career as a member of the Jets, playing his final NFL game on December 27, 2020, a 23-17 New York win over the Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium; Monday’s Bills vs. Jets clash will be played at the same venue.

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