Antonio Gates owners, I'm sorry. I think it's time to come to the realization that you must be prepared for the worst when it comes to your star TE's injury.

After reading countless articles on the visits to the "foot specialist" and the confusion Antonio has on why he cannot get healthy, it is clear that you need a back up plan. In my opinion, it is not far off to expect Gates to miss at least seven more weeks of play in the remainder of the season. On the basis of this assumption, it is time to make evasive maneuvers. While one move may be trading him at a significantly lowered price, I have another idea.

A name that I ask all Gates owners to consider is Randy McMichael, Gates' backup. Last week in replacement duty, he had four receptions for 51 yards; this came in an atrocious week from star quarterback Philip Rivers. While those are not the overwhelming numbers we expect from Gates, it tells me that Rivers will not hesitate to use McMichael as a pass catcher (Jackson only had five catches in the same week).

My advice is to bet on the fact that he still has some left in the tank and pray that he can post solid numbers in Gates' long term absence.

The time has come that we dreaded when selecting Gates in the fourth round. Make your peace with it, and more importantly, make your back up plan ASAP.