We’re counting down the days until the NFL season kicks off, and with 85 days remaining, we’re looking at future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers.
One of the best tight ends of all time, Antonio Gates, has totaled 844 receptions for 10,644 yards and 104 scores…and counting. Gates will be 36 years old when the season starts, and still is a top 10 tight end in terms of production. Along with Tony Gonzalez, Gates ushered in a new era of tight ends in the NFL. The former basketball player turned tight end was a long shot to make it to the pros, and is now a sure fire selection to make it to Canton, Ohio.
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Gates went from being an undrafted rookie to one of the most reliable red zone targets in NFL history. He owns the Chargers’ career records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Gates is only seven touchdowns away from tying Gonzalez’ record for most by a tight end (111).
With an improved Chargers roster, he has a realistic shot to reach this in 2016. The statistic I find most remarkable is his career average of 12.6 yards per reception. For a 6’4” and 260-pound tight end, this is an amazing feat.
Obviously, Gates means a lot to his quarterback Philip Rivers. They have been locker mates for over 10 years. When Gates signed back with the Chargers this offseason, he told Ricky Henne of Chargers.com “I’m thankful that he’ll get to finish it here, and I get to be a part of it. It’s exciting to have him back. I didn’t see any way we were going to not bring him back, but it is good to see it become a reality. His friendship probably means more than all we’ve accomplished playing together, but it is a combination of both that makes it as special as it is.”
The Chargers let promising tight end Ladarius Green leave in free agency and he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They obviously still trust Gates to carry the load. In addition, the veteran tight end will be able to groom second round rookie Hunter Henry. Henry is actually very similar in terms of size to Gates and should be able to learn a great deal by watching him.
Henry told Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “He’s a legend. On the field and off it, he’s a pro. He’s done it for 13 years. I’m just trying to learn how he’s done it for so long.”
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In the gigantically popular era of fantasy football, Gates has been a reliable tight end for owners to draft year after year. For this upcoming season, I predict another highly productive year for Gates. If he can play all 16 games, I can see him achieving top 10 tight end numbers in PPR and standard leagues, in the range of 825 yards and 7 touchdowns. Rivers and Gates have historic chemistry together, and it will not come to an end just yet.