Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch gets praise from a former NFC West foe

Frank Gore teams have been trampled more than once by Marshawn Lynch during the running backs’ NFL careers, but Gore remains pleased Lynch returned to the NFL last season after a year’s absence from the game.

“That’s my man. Marshawn is my man,” Gore, in his first season with the Dolphins and 14th overall, told Miami reporters Thursday.

Lynch and the Raiders visit Miami on Sunday. Kickoff is 10 a.m. PDT at Hard Rock Stadium.

“I know him. He’s a friend of mine,” Gore said. “I love the way he plays the game of football. I’m happy that he came back because I knew that he still could play the game. I’m happy that a dude who came in back when I came in is still going. That’s a plus for us.”

Gore, 35, and Lynch, 32, entered the league just two years apart, the former as a third-round pick of San Francisco in 2005. Lynch’s turn came when Buffalo selected him in the first round in 2007. In 11 seasons, Lynch has 2,380 carries for 10,109 yards and 83 touchdowns, while Gore has 3,244 carries for 14,112 yards and 77 touchdowns.

The pair crossed paths for five years when Gore was starring for the 49ers and Lynch was with Seattle, including the 2013 season when the Seahawks beat San Francisco for a spot in the Super Bowl.

Lynch announced his retirement via Twitter on the day of Super Bowl 50 in 2016, leaving Gore bummed because of the success Lynch had experienced since entering the league. But even he puts a limit on how much he wants to see of Beast Mode.

“Hopefully we don’t get too much to watch of him this week,” Gore said. “We (need to) go out there and do what we’ve got to do to try to get a win.”

Gore said he’s “more laid-back” than Lynch “so, yes, we’re different. “ He noticed what Lynch has been doing in the first two games of the season. Lynch has 29 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

“Marshawn is Marshawn,” Gore said. “I respect the way he plays the game. He plays the game the right way. We both do. I’m proud of what he’s doing and I know he’d probably say the same.”

This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 4:06 PM.