The Chargers are probably going to sign Antonio Gates to help fill the void from losing Hunter Henry. Philip Rivers wants them to, and GM Tom Telesco concedes he's been in contact with the veteran. He calls Gates a "natural fit," probably because he did after all spend his Hall of Fame career with them.
But Gates turns 38 years old next week, and it's not just an assumption that he's lost a step or three at his advanced age. It's been pretty apparent for years.
Back in 2009, Gates had a career-high 1,157 yards. The next year, though only playing 10 games, he caught a career-high 76 percent of the passes sent his way, averaging 15.6 yards per catch. But the last two years he's set career-lows in both categories: 10.5 yards per catch or worse, and he's caught only 58 percent of the passes thrown his way.
| ANTONIO GATES, 2009-PRESENT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Rate |
| 2009 | 79 | 114 | 1,157 | 14.6 | 8 | 69% |
| 2010 | 50 | 66 | 782 | 15.6 | 10 | 76% |
| 2011 | 64 | 90 | 778 | 12.2 | 7 | 71% |
| 2012 | 49 | 78 | 538 | 11.0 | 7 | 63% |
| 2013 | 77 | 116 | 872 | 11.3 | 4 | 66% |
| 2014 | 69 | 99 | 821 | 11.9 | 12 | 70% |
| 2015 | 56 | 84 | 630 | 11.3 | 5 | 67% |
| 2016 | 53 | 92 | 548 | 10.3 | 7 | 58% |
| 2017 | 30 | 52 | 316 | 10.5 | 3 | 58% |
Table shows Gates' last nine years, since that stellar 2009 season.
Will Gates be an asset to the Chargers? Sure. They don't have Henry, and even at his advanced age he's likely a lot better than Virgil Green or whatever else the Chargers can put on the field.
But he's definitely not the difference-maker he used to be. Not a guy I expect to have on any of my teams.
--Andy Richardson