There's no question that San Francisco 49ers legend Frank Gore, now serving as a football personnel advisor for the team, admires head coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive system. Speaking on NBC Sports Bay Area's pregame coverage ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Miami Dolphins, Gore speculated that his Hall of Fame-worthy career might have been even more remarkable if he had played within Shanahan's offense.
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"You gotta understand, I'm being real—Kyle is smart as hell," Gore told Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee-Chan. "When I sit in meetings with him at times, [I'm] surprised how much he knows about the game. How he dials up the plays and how he looks at stuff, to make things look so simple.
"That's why I think the guys who would come in, he makes it simple for them. He shows them their first read, he's showing how to line [up], get off the ball, and he makes it easy for the guys."
Gore made a bold claim when asked how his career might have looked in Shanahan's offense.
"I would have went crazy in this system. I would have went crazy," Gore confidently stated. "I probably would have had 20,000 [rushing yards]."
Gore rushed for 11,073 yards during his 10 seasons with the 49ers and finished his NFL career with 16,000 rushing yards over 16 seasons, ranking third all-time behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. If Gore's prediction of 20,000 yards had come true, it would have set a new all-time record.
"I tell Kyle that, though," Gore added. "When I sat down and watched how he goes over things, I said, 'Bro, I would have had 20,000 yards in this system.' I tell Kyle that every time we talk."
Regarding Smith's all-time rushing record, Gore confidently declared, "I would have got that. In this system, I would have got that."
Despite Gore's glowing praise of Shanahan's offense, the 49ers fell to the Dolphins 29-17, dropping their record to 6-9.
