Could the 49ers have kept Frank Gore?

Joe Staley’s latest extension will put him with the San Francisco 49ers through 2021 and some have suggested it may be his final contract in the NFL. Now, a lot can happen in three years and Staley can decide to lengthen his playing career further if he decides. Assuming this is his final contract, it’s awesome he got to play his whole career in San Francisco.

It makes me remember another 49er that could have done his whole career in one spot: Frank Gore.

“Could” and “should” are two different things. There’s no mistaking that the 49ers fan base was saddened at the departure of Frank Gore. It wasn’t that Gore was signing with a different team, but the circumstances of why. The 49ers drafted…