Antonio Gates is considered one of the best receiving tight ends in the history NFL. For the past 16 seasons, Gates has been with the Chargers, first in San Diego, now in Los Angeles. Over the years he's had 10 seasons with over 700 receiving yards, six seasons with over 70 receptions, and 11 with over seven receiving touchdowns.
However, over the past four years gates has only started 18 games. Last season, he only started one game. He's slowly regressed and isn't nearly the same player he once was. The Chargers decided to move on from Gates at the starting spot before starting tight end Hunter Henry’s torn ACL allowed them to bring back Gates.
After the Chargers lost to the Patriots in the playoffs, Gates spoke to reporters about his impending future with the team and in the NFL.
“The teams we played think I can still can play if they’re still doubling me. Hopefully, we both learned from (last season’s situation). When I play, I play with 110 percent. I play to win. I play as a teammate. Hopefully, they’ll be able to see that and try to make the right decisions for the upcoming season.”
Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco, when asked about Gates, spoke of the other factors at play, such as roster spots and the salary cap. Both of these could affect the chances of bringing Gates back.
“My heart says, yeah, he’ll be back next year. But you put your GM hat on, and you look at what’s the role, where are resources are with the cap… We’ll come to that conclusion a lot quicker than we did last year.”
The Chargers will have to make a decision on Gates' future soon. It will be interesting to see if they replace him via the draft, free agency, with Henry or give him another shot.
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