Frank Gore among 16 former 49ers up for 2026 Hall of Fame consideration

2026 Hall of Fame nominations are in.

San Francisco 49ers former running back Frank Gore. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore is among 16 franchise players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Gore is a fan favorite among the 49ers Faithful and is joined on the nominee list by former notable names like QB Jeff Garcia and TE Vernon Davis.

Why Frank Gore in particular deserves to be a Hall of Famer

Sep 9, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Frank Gore was honored during the game against the New York Jets at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

A screening committee will now trim the list of nominees to 50 semifinalists, with results expected in mid-October before cutting the list down further to 25.

The list will continue to narrow down to seven finalists, but only those receiving at least 80% of the final vote will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Since this is Gore's first year of eligibility, he could face stiff competition from the finalists from the Class of 2025.

Gore spent the majority of his career with the 49ers, but also had stints with the Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.

But his career can only be described as legendary and one of the best running backs to never win the Super Bowl. Fact. Those five Pro Bowl selections and a spot on the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team speak volumes about his talent.

Gore scored a combined total of 99 touchdowns, including 81 rushing touchdowns, and amassed an impressive 16,000 rushing yards—ranking him third all-time. Joining Gore on the all-time rushing leaderboard are Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders, all of whom are Pro Football Hall of Famers.

In addition, Gore recorded nine 1,000+ rushing yard seasons and eleven 900+ yard campaigns, underscoring his remarkable consistency and skill. With pride, it can be said that eight of his 1,000-yard seasons were achieved in the red and gold.

The nominee list in full:

May 10, 2009; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff Garcia (7) at minicamp at the Raiders practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The full list of former 49ers players on this year's nominee list:

• QB Jeff Garcia
• QB Alex Smith
• WR Anquan Boldin
• WR Brandon Lloyd
• TE Vernon Davis
• TE Delanie Walker
• RB Frank Gore
• RB Ricky Watters
• OL Joe Staley
• DL Ted Washington
• DL Justin Smith
• LB Takeo Spikes
• LB NaVorro Bowman
• LB Lee Woodall
• K Gary Anderson
• K David Akers

Special shoutout to Jeff Garcia, a quarterback widely regarded as one of the best 49ers at his position to never win a Super Bowl. His passing yards record stood for over two decades until Brock Purdy broke it in 2023.

There are some special players on this list.