Antonio Gates

                           RUSHING                            RECEIVING                            FANTASY

                            Rush    Yards    TD         Rec   Targets   Yards   TD         Tot Pts   Pts/Gm

2011 Stats           0         0       0         64        88      778     7        119.8       9.2

2010 Stats           0         0       0         50        65      782    10       138.2      13.8

2009 Stats            0         0       0         79      114     1157     8        163.7     10.2  

2008 Stats            0         0       0         60       92       704     8        118.4       7.4

(+) Has attended all offseason programs

(+) Norv says Antonio had his best mini-camp since he's been coach

(+) Is able to practice at full-speed, something he hasn't been able to do in years

(+) Though it was his lowest TD total since 2003, seven TDs ain’t bad for only playing in 13 games. Should get into double-digits again this season

(+) Gates was totally awesome when VJAX was holding out two years ago, now Vincent is no longer on the team

(+) Rivers may depend on Gates more while he gets to know his new WRs Meachem and Royal

(+/–) Ranked outside the Top-4 for TEs in fantasy scoring for the first time in EIGHT seasons 

(–) Missed nine games in the past two seasons, yet missed three games in the previous seven years as a Charger

(–) Yet to be determined if his plantar fasciitis is fully gone and/or if he's slowed down as a player

(–) They drafted a TE in the 4th round of this season (Ladarious Green)

Antonio Gates was primed for an optimal season in 2009, and he delivered as expected.  After falling off his game in 2008 due to various injuries, Gates turned himself around to make 2009 a memorable one.  He led the league in yards for TEs once again and jumped back into the Top-3 for fantasy points on the year.  Of course, playing for a new contract aided in the quick turnaround for Gates, but playing injury-free made the biggest difference as Antonio was back to his normal speed and QB Philip Rivers couldn’t help but notice.  He led the team both in targets and receptions and was just 10 yards and 1 TD away from leading the Chargers in both those categories as well.

~ Ranked third in the league with 163.7 TE fantasy points (basic scoring system)

~ Tied for 16th in the league with 8 receiving touchdowns

~ Ranked first among tight ends in the league with 1,157 receiving yards (12^th overall)

~ Ranked first among tight ends in the league with 72.3 receiving yards per game (13^th overall)

~ Ranked fourth among tight ends in the league with 79 receptions (tied for 16^th overall)

~ Ranked sixth among tight ends in the league with 114 targets (27^th overall)

~ Tied for first among tight ends in the league with 18 receptions of 20+ yards (tied for 6^th overall)

~ Ranked first among tight ends in the league with 61 catches for first downs (tied for 7^th overall)

~ Ranked first among tight ends in the league with 453 yards after the catch (YAC) (6^th overall)

~ Set career bests in receiving yards (1,157), yards/reception (14.6), and yards from scrimmage (1,157)

~ Made his sixth straight Pro Bowl team

Expect San Diego to pony up for Gates sometime real soon, as there’s no way they want to go into the 2010 season with their star tight end unhappy.  Gates put together a phenomenal year in 2009 and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.  With two young, good, big wide receivers in the mix in Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd (Legedu Naanee should be included here as well), his touchdowns will likely stay in the 8-10 range, as will his yards and receptions.  However, with the 3-game suspension VJax will have to live out, and his impending holdout looking for a new contract, it's possible Gates becomes the hands-down #1 target for Rivers and explodes fantasy-wise because of it.  Suffice it to say, either his normal numbers or whatever possible freak-numbers he puts up with VJax out firmly entrench him among the top few at his position and given his sparse injury past, Gates should once again be one of the first tight ends called out on draft day, if not the first.

~ Will a rookie running back hurt the passing game, or help it?

~ Antonio’s age could start to catch up with him

~ His contract status might affect his play.  The question is, will it be positive, or negative?

~ Due to Vincent Jackson's three-game suspension and impending holdout, Gates will have a bigger influence on the offense

Gates does not have a Twitter account.  The official Team Twitter account comes through here:  Chargers Player Tweets

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Pretty entertaining interview with Craig Ferguson. Nice and funny guy Gates is.

Gates finally got the big extension he deserves.  Just before training camp broke, Gates signed a six-year, $39.8 million contract that included $20.4 million guaranteed, a $4.575 million signing bonus, a $3.47 million first-year "option" bonus, and Gates' first two years base salary.  Also involved in the deal is the fact that his 2012 and $2.4 million of his 2013 salaries are guaranteed for injury, but not for skill (which shouldn't be a problem).  The particulars are listed below:

2010 - $755,000

2011 - $5.2 million

2012 - $4 million (+ $6.4 million option bonus)

2013 - $4.5 million

2014 - $5 million

2015 - $5.9 million

2016 - Free Agent

• Offensive Line


• Offensive Scheme


• Major Off-Season Moves


• 2010 NFL Draft

View Overall Strength of Schedule Chart

Gates decided to make a living in football after it was made clear to him that he was a "tweener" and not tall enough to make it in the NBA.

Gates didn't play organized football in college, but that didn't seem to stop him from being a Golden Flash on the gridiron.  He was signed as an undrafted Free Agent after his very first workout in 2003 (with the San Diego Chargers) and has been setting benchmarks and breaking records ever since.  He holds the NFL record for TDs in a season by a TE (13), and only Randy Moss, TO, and Larry Fitzgerald have caught more TDs than Gates between 2004-2009.

At 6'4" 260 pounds, he has average size as TE's go in the NFL.  It's his body control, hands, and shear athleticism that make him such a juggernaut.  San Diego will move him in motion, split him out wide, or bring him in tight, and in all cases, he is able to make big plays.  He is a complete nightmare on the goal-line and has become a better blocker over the course of his career, but it's still not one of his strong suits.  No biggie.  He'll simply continue to do the thing he knows best.  Score.