Veteran tight end Antonio Gates will not be leaving San Diego this year.
Antonio Gates and the Chargers have agreed to terms on a new contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
The 35-year-old Gates has spent his entire 13-year career with the Chargers, and now he’ll remain in San Diego. Although he’s not quite the player he once was, he’s still an important part of the Chargers’ offense. Last year Gates caught 56 passes for 630 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games.
Gates averaged 5.1 catches for 57 yards and 0.45 TD in 11 games, so he was scoring at solid TE1 pace when healthy. He appeared on the injury report for five weeks with knee and hip issues and ended up missing five games -- four due to suspension -- so he finished as the #11 TE in standard formats and #12 in PPR. If the Chargers don't re-sign Ladarius Green or find other significant help at tight end, then Gates will once again be a solid value in the later rounds. Potential owners should be sure to draft a backup or target a surprise TE early in the waiver wire process since it’s likely that Gates will miss some time due to injury as his body continues to break down.
