Antonio Gates is a former professional football player that played as a tight end for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL. He played for 16 years and spent his whole career with the Chargers, becoming the franchise’s leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He was selected to the All-Pro team five times (thrice for the First Team, twice for the Second Team) and was also an eight-time Pro Bowler. Gates was a member of the San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team and the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
In this article, we will be talking about Antonio Gates’ net worth in 2022.
Antonio Gates’ net worth in 2022 (estimate): $30-$35 million
Antonio Gates’ net worth in 2022 is estimated to be between $30 to $35 million, according to multiple sources such as The Richest, MD Daily Record and Wealthy Persons.
Antonio Ethan Gates Sr. was born on June 18th, 1980, in Detroit, Michigan, where he was a star basketball and football player at Central High School.
For his college career, he originally enrolled at Michigan State University to play college football for then-coach Nick Saban and basketball for coach Tom Izzo. However, he learned that Saban only wanted him to focus on football, leading Gates to transfer to Eastern Michigan, where he played basketball only.
After one season, he transferred to the College of Sequoias, a junior college in California, to focus on his studies. He was then recruited by coach Stan Heath and transferred to Kent State University in Northeastern Ohio.
Gates played as a power forward for the Kent State Golden Flashes for two years. In his junior year, he averaged 16 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, leading the school to its first Mid-American Conference Championship (MAC) after finishing the regular season with a record of 24-5.
The following year, Gates again led Kent State to MAC glory, as well as a berth in the 2002 NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, he helped Kent State advance to the Elite Eight after upsetting heavy favorites Oklahoma State, Alabama and Pittsburgh.
Gates averaged 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in his senior season, earning honorable mention All-American honors from the Associated Press. He finished his playing career at Kent State with a record of 54-16.
On February 27th, 2010, Gates' No. 44 jersey was retired by Kent State, making him just the fourth Golden Flash to receive that honor.
Unfortunately, many NBA scouts labeled him as a “tweener” because Gates played power forward in college despite standing just 6'4”. He eventually decided to pursue football, arranging a workout in front of NFL scouts despite not playing college football.
Nearly 20 NFL teams contacted Gates for a tryout, but San Diego got the first look at him. The team recognized his potential and immediately signed him to a two-year contract as an undrafted free agent.
Gates was one of the bright spots of the Chargers' dismal 2003 season, one they finished 4-12. He started off as the team's third-string tight end but was a starter by the time the season concluded. Gates finished the year with 24 catches for 389 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games played.
He entered the following season entrenched as San Diego's starting tight end, catapulting to stardom with 81 catches for 964 yards and 13 touchdowns, efforts that earned Gates Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors.
On August 23rd, 2005, Antonio Gates signed a six-year, $24 million contract with the Chargers that included a $6 million signing bonus. He immediately lived up to that deal, finishing the season with 89 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Gates' best season came in 2009, when he helped San Diego to a 13-3 record with 79 catches for 1,157 yards and eight scores. Unfortunately, San Diego was knocked out of the postseason by the New York Jets.
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After an impressive 2009 season, Gates signed a five-year, $36.2 million contract with a $4.6 million signing bonus.
In 2012, he had a record-breaking season as he became the fifth tight end in NFL history with 600 career catches and the runner-up for most touchdowns in Chargers history with 83. He then set an NFL record for most touchdowns as a tight end during the 2017 season, catching his 112th touchdown pass.
On April 27th, 2018, the Chargers told Gates they would not bring him back for the 2018 season. However, an injury to starter Hunter Henry forced the now-Los Angeles Chargers to re-sign Gates on a one-year, $2.5 million contract.
Though he'd initially planned to sign with the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, Gates instead opted to retire from the NFL. He officially hung it up on January 14th, 2020, finishing his career as one of the most accomplished pass-catchers in NFL history.
“After 16 seasons in the NFL, 16 seasons as a Charger, eight Pro Bowl appearances and many records broken, I find it hard to officially put this statement out and retire from the game of football,” Gates said.
Gates’ career achievements are listed below.
- Most Career Touchdowns by a tight end (116)
- 3x First Team All-Pro
- 2x Second Team All-Pro
- 8x Pro Bowl
- Member of the San Diego Chargers 50thAnniversary Team
- Member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Gates played a total of 236 games over his 16-year career, amassing 955 receptions for 11,841 receiving yards and 116 receiving touchdowns.
According to Spotrac, he earned a total of $70,956,236 in his NFL salaries alone.
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After his retirement, Gates joined the Los Angeles Chargers’ front office as a Legends Ambassador. Moreover, he's shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible in 2023.
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