Last year, the Chargers were ready to move on from Antonio Gates and turn the keys over to rising star Hunter Henry. However, when a torn ACL sidelined Henry, the Bolts reverted to Gates with a new deal in September. Will he come back for yet another season? 
“My heart says, yeah, he’ll be back next year,” Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco said, via Sam Fortier of The Athletic. “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.”
It’s hard to see Gates demanding much in the way of salary given his decline in usage and performance. Last year, even without Henry in his way, Gates finished out with just 28 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Those are respectable numbers for your average tight end, but they were some of the lowest totals of Gates’ career.
Last year, Gates carried a $2.5MM charge against the Chargers’ cap. A similar deal could probably be struck, though the Bolts may want to keep the guaranteed base salary to a minimum in order to preserve their flexibility in the first couple of waves of free agency.
For his part, Gates wants to return. He’s also confident in his abilities, despite his advanced age.
“The teams we played think I can still can play if they’re still doubling me,” Gates said.
They were doubling you because, unlike before, linebackers are now able to keep up with you, so they can use a safety and linebacker… why not? Instant hall of famer gates…. but it’s time to call it a career. We could use that roster and cap space for help where we actually need it. Thanks for the career, class act…. but it’s time.
He looked old and tired. Shame for such a one time force. Some guys just can’t give it up.
Antonio won’t be getting enough snaps to make significant contributions in terms of performance but just having him on the roster to provide mentoring and inspiration is worth it. Who is going to tell Phillip Rivers where to find the best deals on Ensure if Gates isn’t around?