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Bills RB Frank Gore Jr. Quietly Pulled Off One of the Preseason’s Rarest Feats

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 8:08 AM ET

Forget making the 53-man roster — second-year Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. just made a case to become Josh Allen’s newest breakout weapon.

Gore rushed for 104 yards and tallied 11 catches for 109 receiving yards this preseason, finishing as the league’s only player to record at least 100 yards in both categories. The Southern Miss product officially joined the club in Saturday’s 23-19 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, totaling 32 rushing yards and adding another 29 yards on two catches.

Perhaps most importantly, Gore capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first quarter. Gore ended the preseason averaging 4.5 yards per carry and picked up 10 first downs on 23 carries. His 109 receiving yards trailed only Tyrell Shaves’ 123 among Bills players.

Now comes the difficult part for the Bills, who must decide whether Gore has a future with the team or not.

Will Frank Gore Jr. contribute to the Buffalo Bills in 2025?

As ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith pointed out, Gore still likely ranks fourth on the Bills’ running back depth chart. James Cook is entrenched as the starter, and veteran Ty Johnson averaged 5.2 yards per rush on 41 carries last year.

We also must assume that Ray Davis, a 2024 fourth-round pick, will crack the 53-man roster. Johnson’s roster spot is also likely safe after signing a two-year, $5 million extension in March.

What does that mean for Gore? Smith said he believes that Gore will hit the waiver wire, where any team can claim him ahead of Week 1. Gore could return to the Bills’ practice squad if he clears waivers, and there’s no reason to believe that Buffalo wouldn’t bring him back.

Unfortunately for Gore, he may be the odd man out in Buffalo. He’s an undersized 5-foot-8, 195-pound running back on a team with three healthy players, all of whom are on multi-year deals, at the position.

However, Gore’s strong preseason could help him land a contract elsewhere. The Cleveland Browns could use another young running back, especially given the unsigned Quinshon Judkins’ legal troubles. Gore’s father played for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco and Giants coach Brian Daboll in Buffalo.

For now, though, Gore is still on the Bills’ roster. We’ll see whether Sean McDermott and Buffalo opt for four running backs on the active roster, or if Gore might make his NFL debut elsewhere.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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