It was unlikely that the San Diego Chargers would let tight end Antonio Gates play somewhere else next season, especially since he indicated he was not considering retiring. His impending return to the Chargers also left the writing on the wall for Ladarius Green.
Gates' rapport with quarterback Philip Rivers may well have been enough on its own to keep the tight end around, but he is also an important figure in the organization's history. It also appears as if the Chargers believe he still has plenty left to offer in terms of on-field production.
The Chargers announced Gates' extension Wednesday, just hours before the NFL's new league year begins. As free agency draws nearer it also appears the Chargers are going to let Green, Gates' backup over the last four seasons, sign elsewhere.
Gates, 35, missed the first four games of last season due to a suspension over a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. He has, however, managed to stay healthy over these past four seasons and has caught 28 touchdown passes over that span.
But his suspension was not the only thing that bothered Gates about this past season. With the Chargers' record at 3-10, before they lost their final three games, Gates strongly implied he would not retire and wanted to stay in San Diego.
"I don't want to go out this kind of way," he said in December. "I don't want to go out as a loser. Winning is the way, ideally, you want to go out... I want to make one more run at it, and then if it doesn't work, be like, 'OK.' That's just my feeling right now."
With Malcom Floyd retiring and Eric Weddle seemingly on his way out, the Chargers are losing two of their franchise's staples. The Chargers may have a lot of needs to address, but bring back Gates seemed to be as much for his star power as it was for his ability.
Once the league year starts, Green is expected to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is not clear if the Chargers no longer valued Green the way they once did, or if the team simply did not want to spend the money to retain him, but letting him go and bringing back Gates were inevitably linked.
Gates' 77 touchdown catches on throws from Rivers are the most of any QB-TE tandem in NFL history. One of seven receivers to catch 100 passes in his NFL career, Gates needs just five touchdown catches to surpass Tony Gonzalez as the NFL's all-time leader in that category among tight ends.
