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Antonio Gates News & Rumors

Weddle, Rivers, Gates in Pro Bowl
December 28
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Three of the Chargers are still going to a postseason game of sorts, namely, the Pro Bowl. Pro Bowl perennials Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates were picked again for the NFL's all-star game -- it's the eighth invitation for the latter, the fourth for the quarterback -- and the newcomer joining them will be free safety Eric Weddle. The Chargers second-leading tackler, Weddle made his first Pro Bowl as one of three defensive backs atop the NFL with seven interceptions, one more than Weddle's total of his first four seasons. "The season we've had puts a little damper on it," said Weddle in a statement issued by the Chargers, "but I put a lot into it and worked my tail off this offseason to"
Motown fitting place for Gates to break record
December 23
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"He could not have grown up in a more different environment than the one where he's made himself an NFL star, a perennial Pro Bowl player who's three receptions away from setting the career record for the franchise that's known more for passing the football than any other. If he couldn't set that record in San Diego, though, Antonio Gates would very much like it to be in Detroit. A perfect place, in a different way, for it to happen. How fortuitous that the weekend after Gates got that close to Hall of Fame receiver (and Chargers coach) Charlie Joiner's team record of 586 catches, the Chargers are playing against the Lions at Detroit, where Gates was born and raised and grew out of some"
Gates looking more like vintage self as he zeros in on Joiner's milestone
December 18
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Though he will shortly surpass Charlie Joiner as the Chargers' career receptions leader, Antonio Gates is also closing in on Antonio Gates. There is more spring in his step lately; more confidence in his cuts. For the first time in a long time, the archetypal tight end looks like a reasonable facsimile of his former self. "I'm not 100 percent, but I feel great," Gates said Friday afternoon. "It's an ongoing process and it will continue to be treated that way. But for the most part, I've been surprised at the things I've been able to do and I've been surprised at the way I've been feeling over the last couple of weeks." In nine mostly splendid seasons in the National Football League, Gates"
Notebook: Gates set to set team record
December 13
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates is five receptions from 587 in his career, which will make him the Chargers' all-time leader. That's quite an accomplishment playing for a franchise that counts among its former players Hall of Fame wide receivers Lance Alworth and Charlie Joiner (the man Gates is about to pass) and Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow. "It's pretty amazing and to me," Norv Turner said Monday. "To be the leading receiver … of all time of the San Diego Chargers, that's saying an awful lot.""
Gates doing what he can until he can be himself again
November 18
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates has heard the talk. The future Hall of Famer, hampered in his ongoing recovery from a severe foot injury, is presently "just a guy," this newspaper opined last week. Among other slights, Gates recently had relayed to him a Yahoo! column in which an anonymous Chargers source was quoted as saying Gates was "old and fat." Recalling that assessment, a smiling Gates said: "It was like funny to me … When it gets personal to me, then maybe it's the truth. So I took the fact that I laughed about it as a good sign. Because when I know certain things that aren't true about certain things it is more of a joking matter." Gates repeatedly avoided giving any estimate regarding at what"
Gates keeps swinging open
November 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"When the game was over, Green Bay Packers linebacker Desmond Bishop had covered more turf at Qualcomm Stadium than the tarp that was rolled out before the start of Sunday's old-fashioned shootout. It was one of those days where Bishop was called upon to offer help where it was needed most and he knew it wasn't always going to be pretty. Missing their starting running back, a starting receiver and a third receiver of any consequence, the San Diego Chargers rode the dynamic duo of tight end Antonio Gates and receiver Vincent Jackson to a near miss Sunday afternoon. In the 45-38 loss to the Packers, quarterback Philip Rivers threw half of his 46 passes to Gates and Jackson, his two remaining"
Gates not sore about being sore
October 25
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates is sore and grateful. "It felt great," Gates said Monday afternoon, one day after playing in a game for the first time in a month. "… I've been through a lot, so for what I've been through it's definitely an upgrade. I just want to get back to being 100 percent healthy. I'm not 100 percent, but if I can come back and have a little soreness, that's just the National Football League. Every player feels that way on Monday. It's exciting to be back to just being sore." Considering the immense pain he endured every week to play through plantar fasciitis much of last season, the way he felt Monday is definite progress."
Gates no worse for wear
October 24
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates got free at the line and ran unfettered to the back corner of the end zone, where he turned and caught the pass as he fell backward into the pylon for his first touchdown reception this season. He got up, slapping his chest. He was back. "It was good," said Gates, who missed the previous three games with lingering pain in his right foot as he dealt with scar tissue tearing in his comeback from plantar fasciitis. "… I felt wonderful. Some plays came my way. I was able to make them. It was fine." Gates played perhaps a few dozen snaps in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the New York Jets, coming in and out in his first game since Sept. 18 at New England."
Gates progress toward Sunday according to plan
October 21
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Tight end Antonio Gates not practicing Thursday had been a possibility, even expected by the Chargers, and it had no effect on Gates remaining on track to play Sunday against the New York Jets. "It's just the plan, and he's no worse from what he did yesterday, and I expect him to practice tomorrow," Turner said after Thursday's practice. "We felt the best thing today, this morning when we got together, was to not practice today and then make sure we can go tomorrow. Going three days in a row might have been more than we needed right now.""
Gates, Jackson work in limited role
October 19
North County Times
 
"The bye week was good to the Chargers. Every player save defensive end Luis Castillo (tibia) participated in Wednesday's practice, included a pair of vital skill players. Tight end Antonio Gates (foot) and receiver Vincent Jackson (hamstring) were limited in practice, but are expected to increase activity as the week goes on. "We're working to get them back to where they can get through an entire practice," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "They both did more than they did on Monday and that both can do more tomorrow than they did today." Gates looked active and light on his feet during the open portion of practice, and encouraging sign for a player who has practiced just once since the"
Gates noncommittal after return to practice
October 18
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates caught a pass in the end zone and tiptoed both feet in-bounds. It was against air at the beginning of Monday's practice, but it's been a while since anyone has seen even that much. And it appears Gates is on track to at least try to make such a play in a game. "The one thing about Antonio, he always looks good when he's out there," head coach Norv Turner said later. "He went through part of practice and we're going to go day-to-day, and hopefully he doesn't have a setback and he's able to practice on Wednesday.""
Gates looking forward to Jets game
October 10
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"That smile that has become almost as recognizable as his catches over the years is back. Antonio Gates was pleased for a variety of reasons after the Chargers' 29-24 victory on Sunday. "Four-and--one," he said more than a few times. But the big grin also had a little something to do with his pain-imposed exile almost being over. Gates acknowledged Sunday his plan all along was to come back Oct. 23 against the New York Jets."
Gates not optimistic he'll face Dolphins
September 29
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"epts a Philip Rivers pass intended for Antonio Gates in the 3rd quarter. — K.C. Alfred Antonio Gates is usually optimistic. He's played so many times through so many injuries, he generally believes there is a way for him to suit up on a Sunday. But asked if his ailing foot could conceivably allow him to play this week against the Miami Dolphins, Gates thought for a moment and then grimaced."
An uncomfortable reality for Gates
September 27
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"As Antonio Gates seeks more input regarding his still-ailing right foot, wondering why it is the pain remains so severe, a possibility no one wants to consider hovers like a dark cloud that may or may not burst. Even if Gates says his future is only a matter of how he will get back to full strength and not if, any concern has merit, if only because of who it is about and what he has meant to the Chargers. To even be contemplating such a question is a compliment to him. Gates has for seven seasons been among the best tight ends to ever play in the NFL, doer of unprecedented feats, destined for immortalization in the form of a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio."
Gates to see specialist Tuesday
September 27
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will see a specialist on Tuesday to get a further opinion on his ailing right foot and is considering seeing the North Carolina doctor who previously performed surgery on his foot for a different injury. While the Chargers and Gates believe that the issue is Gates' ability to play through the pain as he continues to tear through the scar tissue that has built up over the past 11 months, Gates wants to make sure he is not doing further damage and to assess his best course of action."
Antonio Gates won't play Sunday
September 25
Pro Football Talk
 
"Not every high-profile player listed as questionable this weekend is a lock to play. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, officially questionable with a foot injury, will not play against the Chiefs. Gates did not practice on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday."
Must spy Antonio Gates
September 15
Boston Herald
 
"The Patriots tight ends took a starring role in the season opener, as Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez each caught touchdown passes. They might need to share the stage on Sunday. Three of the NFL's finest tight ends will be inside Gillette Stadium, as a finally healthy Antonio Gates of the Chargers joins the Patriots' dynamic duo. All will be featured by their offenses. The Patriots did that Monday night, when Gronkowski and Hernandez combined for 189 receiving yards. The Chargers defense will be forced to account for them, while also deciding whether to cover Hernandez like a receiver or a tight end. "Gronkowski and Hernandez were awfully impressive. What they're doing with that"
Gates returns to practice, feels good
August 15
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates finished a full practice on Sunday, running and cutting and feeling good. "It's a really, really good sign," Gates said. "It actually put a smile on my face. This was a really positive day for me." Gates had done only individual drills Saturday, his first time in practice in more than a week."
Gates won't take whole preseason off
August 10
North County Times
 
"Antonio Gates won't be playing football on Thursday evening. The Chargers tight end hasn't practiced since Aug. 4 and has done so just once since training camp began, exercising caution while rehabbing the plantar fasciitis in his foot. While the goal is for Gates to be ready for the regular season, that doesn't mean he'll skip the entire preseason. The Chargers used to give running back LaDainian Tomlinson the exhibition slate off to avoid unnecessary wear and tear, but the same won't be true for Gates. "There is a plan for him to play during the preseason," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "That will happen when he's able to do the things he wants to do at full speed. If he can't make"
Gates taking it slow
August 6
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Tight end Antonio Gates said he "felt good" after practicing Thursday - essentially his first practice since October. But he did not practice Friday and is resigned to a training camp of starts and stops as he and the team manage his lingering soreness due to plantar fasciitis. "We're taking it slow," he said. "We're being smart." It won't necessarily be one day on, one day off. But frequent days off will likely be Gates' regimen throughout camp and perhaps even during the season. He practiced once after October last season and did not play in a game after Dec. 5. The Chargers expect Gates to be ready for the season opener, and Gates believes his biggest issue will be managing his recovery"
Despite lingering soreness, Gates still has low-mileage look about him
August 5
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Think of Antonio Gates as a performance car with a tire problem. Hit the gas and he goes. Shift gears and he responds. Turn the wheel and he can still weave through traffic with rack-and-pinion precision. There's a lot of life left in that engine. The trouble is with the tread. The Chargers' transcendent tight end began training camp in earnest Thursday still contending with a stubborn case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but most of him is in showroom shape. "Guys come into the league with the same problems I've had and you just say, 'Wow,'" Gates said. "I'm looking at that situation and I ain't that bad. I've got really low mileage based on what I see with other guys." Gates"
English, Gates on PUP
August 1
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Outside linebacker Larry English and tight end Antonio Gates have been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning they can work out and participate in meetings but not practice. Both moves could accurately be described as a formality and precautionary, though there is some uncertainty about English following surgery to repair a foot fracture that kept him sidelined most of 2010. Still, the team is expecting him to be its opening day starter opposite Shaun Phillips. The Chargers are being cautious bringing Gates back from the plantar fasciitis that limited him last season. While there has been acknowledgment from several people, including Gates, that there is an element of"
From Gates' perspective, he's ready to be at his best
July 29
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates is 31 years old and still fighting through the most painful yet of a series of foot injuries. He did not practice on the first day of training camp and probably won't for another week. In his pocket, though, he carries experience. Thus, the path ahead, he believes, leads directly into his prime. "I have a whole bowl full of perspective, and I'm stirring it up into being the best Antonio Gates," he said. "I think the best three or four years of my career are ahead of me." If Gates is a prophet as well as a Hall of Fame-bound tight end, then those three or four years would be even more amazing than the eight that have passed. Gates has made the unprecedented regular and the"
Gates to IR; Latsko signed
December 31
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Billy Latsko could be the Chargers No.1 fullback Sunday in Denver, and if he plays at all he will bring the number of players used by the team this season to a record-tying 74. The Chargers could yet make a move to bolster their injury-depleted linebacker corps. They will almost certainly make another roster move this week to bring up practice squad running back Curtis Brinkley. Latsko, spent part of 2008 and all of 2009 on the Chargers practice squad and was on the 53-man roster the final 12 weeks of the 2008 season, was released by the Chargers in September. Gates has not played since Dec. 5 due to a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. He was trying to hold out to play in the"
Gates, Dielman, Rivers voted to Pro Bowl
December 29
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"They can't get around it. The Pro Bowl falls under the category "postseason honors," and for an NFL player, it remains the reward and symbol of individual excellence in the most team-centric of professional sports. That the all-star game's now played before the Super Bowl only makes it more difficult for those whose teams don't make it to the playoffs, especially the ones who've become postseason regulars. For the first time in five years, the Chargers won't be playing a game after their regular-season finale, but the Pro Bowl will be returning to Hawaii and so will some of them. While his nettlesome foot issues presumably might keep tight end Antonio Gates from running around Aloha"
Gates grieves but still believes
December 28
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates doesn't have to care what anyone thinks, only about the truth as he knows it. He is close enough to Canton, has played again and again through so much pain, has set so many standards and has made so much money that he is entitled. He doesn't brandish this right like a weapon. He wears it elegantly, like a crown. Gates didn't play Sunday in Cincinnati, hasn't played since the first week of December and won't play until next season. It doesn't matter. He was there, has been there and will be there for some time. His legacy is secure. The only way it can be enhanced is with a trophy."
McMichael plays a good Gates
December 24
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"The first of Randy McMichael's two first-half receptions this past Thursday came after a run-in with a charging defender and release into the open. McMichael looked up and back just in time to catch the short pass from Philip Rivers and turn it into a nine-yard gain for a first down. His second catch was even more blatantly like something we'd see from the man McMichael replaced - reaching out on a crossing route to tip and then pull in a bullet from Rivers. McMichael held on, even as he was leveled, for a first-down that immediately preceded Vincent Jackson's second touchdown of the game. Randy McMichael isn't Antonio Gates in real life, he just plays him on Sundays. Or Thursdays, or"
Gates might be ready to play if Chargers make playoffs
December 23
North County Times
 
"Chargers tight end Antonio Gates is no longer taking a week-to-week approach with his torn plantar fascia. He wasn't expected to play in the last few games of the regular season because of increased pain and decreased effectiveness following a Dec. 5 loss to Oakland, but Gates refused to rule himself out. Now he's thinking long term, with the hope of playing at close to full strength should the Chargers make the playoffs."
Gates, English doubtful vs. 49ers
December 16
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Foot injuries will hurt the Chargers on both offense and defense Thursday. They will almost certainly be without tight end Antonio Gates and outside linebacker Larry English against the San Francisco 49ers. Both are listed as doubtful on the official injury report. Gates has missed three of the past five games due to a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. He was not optimistic early in the week he would play, but he did hold out hope rest would allow him to return Dec. 26 against the Cincinnati Bengals. English's injury is not considered severe, but the short week will likely not allow him to play."
Gates isn't stopping
December 14
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates is frustrated, in a lot of pain and growing increasingly impatient, but he is not about to give up. "Ain't no use in turning back now," he said Monday. The perennial Pro Bowler caused a little stir when he said after missing Sunday's game he might consider not finishing the season due to the torn plantar fascia in his right foot. It was not the first time Gates had indicated that was an option. However, anyone who has heard him talk about why he endured this long would have serious doubts he would prematurely pull the plug. "When you really, really believe in your heart, I really believe it," Gates said. "I do everything I can every day to get healthy. I really believe this"
Gates being realistic, can't say for certain if he'll play again this season
December 13
San Diego Union-Tribune
 (scroll down)
"Tight end Antonio Gates didn't even test his ailing right foot before Sunday's game. He was sure after he couldn't practice Friday that he would sit Sunday. "This week it didn't feel right," Gates said after not playing for the third time in the past five games but the first time in the past three. "I didn't feel I would be able to contribute." Gates, still the Chargers' leading receiver, acknowledged again he is uncertain he will finish the season due to the painful plantar fascia tear in his right foot."
Gates says he'll face Chiefs
December 9
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Evidently, we won't need to keep checking in with Antonio Gates for hourly updates this week. "This is more of a dire need," Gates said. "Considering how important this game is and what this mean to our whole season I'd like to that, speaking in the third person, Antonio Gates will play." Gates has ostensibly been a day-of-game decision the past four games and has played the past two with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot."
Same story for Gates: Wait and see
November 27
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"As the Gates Turns. And turns. It's like a serial that runs every Friday, the wonder of whether tight end Antonio Gates will be available to play the upcoming game, and even the fact that Gates practiced for the second time in six weeks Thursday didn't change that. Gates was back in the training room for most of Friday's session before the team departed for Sunday night's matchup with the Colts in Indianapolis. "It didn't' get worse," said head coach Norv Turner. "He went through the walk-through. It doesn't help him to go two days in a row, so we'll see where he's at Sunday." The Chargers pretty much have been following the same script every week since mid-October, but Gates' myriad foot"
Gates tests his foot in practice
November 26
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates practiced Thursday, but don't give thanks just yet. There is no guarantee he will play against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Sure, his working in a practice for just the second time in six weeks progress. He worked against defenders for the first time since prior to the Chargers' Oct. 31 game against the Tennessee Titans and did as much running and cutting as he had in a while. He called being able to run on the side Wednesday and run routes in part of Thursday's practice "steps in the right direction." But his right foot, healing from a torn plantar fascia, was still causing him considerable discomfort. After running and cutting hard last Wednesday, he was unable to walk"
Timetable uncertain for Chargers playmakers
November 25
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Tight end Antonio Gates and wide receiver Patrick Crayton will likely catch passes again this season. But the dark cloud hanging over the Chargers' current belief that they're set to make a late-season run is the possibility the two playmakers will not be able to contribute. Crayton submitted to surgery Wednesday on the left wrist he dislocated two days prior. The hope is he could play late in the season, perhaps as early as the middle of next month. Meanwhile, on the day wide receiver Vincent Jackson practiced for the first time this season as an official member of the Chargers, Gates remained sidelined and unsure when his injured right foot will allow him to play. "It has gotten better,""
Gates questionable
November 21
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"What to think? Tight end Antonio Gates has practiced once in five weeks but is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Denver Broncos. That is an upgrade from the doubtful he was listed at prior to the Chargers' last game, Nov. 7 as Houston, for which Gates was inactive. Gates has run on the side this week and the decision to play him could well come down to how he feels Monday afternoon. It appears wide receiver Legedu Naanee (hamstring) and safety Steve Gregory (shoulder) will join running back Ryan Mathews (ankle) on the sideline. All three are listed as doubtful, and no doubtful player has suited up for the Chargers this season. The surprise in the group is Naanee, who"
Gates: 50-50 for Denver
November 18
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"A frustrated Antonio Gates announced "no change" in how he is feeling and assessed his chances of playing Monday night against the Broncos at "50-50." Gates missed his first-ever game due to injury Nov. 7 at Houston, mostly due to a torn plantar fascia on his right foot and also a sprained left ankle and toe. It was the first game he had not played in since being on the Roster Exempt List for the 2005 season opener. "I'm doing everything I can," said Gates, who had played in 94 straight games, including playoffs, before being inactive against the Texans. "I don't just create situations. If I can get on the field and play, I'm gonna play … There are certain situations you've got to let it"
Chargers' Floyd, Siler return to practice; Mathews, Gates and Naanee still sidelined
November 16
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"The trickle of players back onto the practice field continued Monday. While some notable offensive players remained sidelined, there is hope everyone will be ready to play in the Chargers' next game, still six days away. Wide receiver Malcom Floyd returned, as did linebacker Brandon Siler. While both were limited in Monday's practice, they reported feeling good after their first time on the field in weeks. Floyd has not played since straining his hamstring Oct. 17 at St. Louis. Siler has been active just once in the past five games due to a foot injury. "We are making progress," head coach Norv Turner said. "I'd expect a number of the guys who weren't able to go today to practice on"
Chargers get re-charged by stepping-up receivers
November 8
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates might rather have Randy McMichael's two healthy feet, both of them, or anybody else's pain-free dogs. For the time being, though, he'll definitely take back his left hand. "Come on, man, I just loaned it out to you," said Gates, reaching over to McMichael for added comedy effect. "Give it back." Forced by foot issues to sit out a full game due to injury for the first time in his eight seasons as the NFL's preminent tight end, Gates was referring to McMichael's left-handed catch, one of two touchdown receptions by the veteran who effectively was Gates' replacement in the Chargers offensive game plan. Until Sunday, McMichael was primarily the second tight end and rarely a"
Antonio Gates sidelined with various foot injuries
November 7
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates will miss his first game since the 2005 season opener, as his various foot injuries will force him to watch from the Reliant stadium sidelines today. There was hope Gates could make his 88th consecutive regular-season start, but he is unable to run and cut with any confidence on a left foot that features a sprained toe and sprained ankle and a right toe on which he tore his plantar fascia last week against the Tennessee Titans. Gates did not play in the first game of 2005 while on the Roster Exempt List after a contract holdout. He had worked through numerous injuries to play in 94 consecutive games, including playoffs."
VJ returns; no Gates or Dielman
November 5
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Especially with Antonio Gates, Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee sidelined, seeing Vincent Jackson on the practice field drives home just how far the Chargers' receivers' corps has fallen. Just in the 20-minute individual period, with him running routes against air, Jackson made a half-dozen moves/catches that no other presently healthy Chargers receiver could. And he made it look easy. Unfortunately for the Chargers, he won't be available to help them the next two games while he serves his time on the Roster Exempt List. (Don't hold this particular fact against A.J. Smith. Jackson almost certainly would not be here yet if he weren't forced to by being on the Roster Exempt List.) But Jackson"
Another Gates injury revealed
November 4
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates was wheeling around Wednesday on a scooter that kept his right foot off the ground. That's the opposite foot from the toe and ankle injuries that were known to be hobbling him the past two weeks. In the second half of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans, a game in which he caught five passes for 123 yards, Gates popped the plantar fascia in his right foot. Plantar fasciitis is the ailment for which Gates sought a medical opinion in May, but it had not bothered him this season until he attempted to compensate for the injuries around his left foot in the Chargers' Oct. 24 loss to New England. "My (right) foot was on fire," Gates said of the aftermath of the Patriots"
Gates does what he can
October 25
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates was on the field but essentially a decoy for all but eight of the Chargers' first 60 offensive snaps. He played all but one of their final 10 snaps and made four catches for 50 yards, the first of the catches being a four-yard touchdown. "I was still a decoy, man," Gates said with a smile, indicating how far he was from full strength due to the toe injury he suffered the previous week at St. Louis. "I tried to do what I can, and obviously when you are playing a really good team, it is hard not to be 100-percent and play well. I think for a minute they got lost in coverage, and I was able to make some plays." Gates, who did not practice during the week, received a pregame"
Gates questionable as Chargers' roster shuffle continues
October 23
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Looking to his left before the snap and placement for a field goal, holder Mike Scifres will see a relative stranger. Looking to his right for the arrival of the snap, he'll see the ball coming from another comparative stranger. Strange. Actually, it's become a team-wide syndrome, the injection of new names and faces into the ever-changing team picture. The rash of injuries might not be among the top few reasons the Chargers are 2-4, but it is undoubtedly one of them, as evidenced by the fact eight players participated in Sunday's game at St. Louis who weren't on the season-opening roster, including three who joined the roster the week of the game. Having used a total of 60 players all"
San Diego's Antonio Gates a keeper
October 23
Boston Herald
 columnist Dan Duggan
"Chargers tight end Antonio Gates will be a gametime decision for tomorrow's matchup with the Patriots in San Diego. The six-time Pro Bowler had 29 catches for 478 yards and seven touchdowns in the first five games of the season before spraining his toe in the first half of last Sunday's 20-17 loss at St. Louis. Gates left with just two catches for 12 yards, ending his streak of scoring in nine straight games, an NFL record for tight ends. Gates has developed into the ultimate security blanket for quarterback Philip Rivers, who locks into the big, athletic tight end in the red zone. "I think he's the best there is," Rivers said. "I think he's been that for the past handful of years. He's"
Gates likely a Sunday decision
October 22
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Antonio Gates seemed to truly not know whether his injured toe will allow him play Sunday against the New England Patriots. "Part of me is waiting to see," the All-Pro tight end said Thursday after missing a second straight day of practice and emerging from the cold tub. "I've been in a situation where (early in the week) I didn't think I'd play and then I played. And I've been in other situations, well, there actually haven't been any other situations." Gates could practice Friday, though it is not necessary. He has been in the system since 2003, and he and quarterback Philip Rivers can practically read each others minds on the field. A final decision on Gates' status likely won't be made"
Good news about Gates; not on Floyd, Kaeding
October 19
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"As the Chargers set about figuring out how to stanch the bleeding out of their season, they will likely be without two key contributors in their effort to score points Sunday against the New England Patriots. Wide receiver Malcom Floyd suffered a hamstring strain midway through the Chargers' 20-17 loss at St. Louis and is almost certainly out this week, as the Chargers do not want the injury to linger for the player whose 513 receiving yards are fourth-most in the NFL. And kicker Nate Kaeding, who "tweaked" his groin before Sunday's game is also unlikely to play. "I have a feeling he would not be able to kick next week," head coach Norv Turner said. Still, it felt Monday as if the good"
Gates leaves St. Louis hobbled
October 18
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Tight end Antonio Gates, who went to incredible lengths and tolerated immense pain to play in two separate postseasons, tried again to play through an injury on Sunday. But after getting his left ankle rolled a second time, Gates left the game in the second quarter and did not return. "I couldn't put any pressure on it," said Gates, who wore a protective boot after the game. "On that last play where Philip hit me down the middle, a guy fell on it again. The pain became really difficult to deal with at that point." Gates entered the game as the league's fourth-leading receiver with 478 yards. He caught two passes for 12 yards before leaving, unable to put pressure on his foot any longer."
Antonio Gates vs. Zach Miller on Sunday
October 10
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"When it comes to stopping Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, Oakland defensive coordinator John Marshall has suggestions, not solutions. "He's really a great player," said Marshall, whose team hosts San Diego today. "He's a veteran player that knows how to get open. You've got to change coverages on him, put the right people on him, sometimes double him, roll coverage to him, have people around him, bang him around." The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Gates is a six-time Pro Bowler who has caught a touchdown pass in eight consecutive games - the longest streak by a tight end in NFL history. He leads the league with six touchdowns and is fourth with 386 yards (on 24 catches). And yet Gates hasn't even"