The future Hall of Famer reunites with the Chargers months after the team publicly bid him farewell.
He’s back.
After months of speculation, the Chargers have reached a one-year deal with tight end Antonio Gates, the future Hall of Famer who will eventually retire as one of the greatest players in franchise history. It’s unclear how much Gates has left in the tank at 38 years old, but he reunites with a team that desperately needs help at his position.
The Chargers had publicly said goodbye to Gates in April, but were forced to reconsider a month later when Hunter Henry tore his ACL. Henry, 23, caught 81 passes for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first two seasons, and was expected to blossom into a Pro Bowler before his injury.
In Gates, they bring back a tight end who once made eight straight Pro Bowls from 2004-11. He finished 2017 with a career-low 316 receiving yards — but recorded 127 of those in the final two games of the season, when Henry was out with a lacerated kidney.
He is one of just three tight ends on the Chargers’ 53-man roster, joining veteran blocker Virgil Green and undrafted second-year pro Sean Culkin.
