Antonio Gates Hints at NFL Return in 2016

Veteran San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates hinted on Sunday he’ll likely be back for his 14th season next year, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Whether that is with the Chargers remains to be seen.

Gates and the Chargers are 3-10 and in the midst of their worst season since going 4-12 in 2003, the tight end’s rookie season.

Their continued struggles are the root for his desire to return, per Acee: "I don’t want to go out this kind of way. 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."

Category	Figure	NFL All-Time Rank (TEs)
Receptions	833	3rd
Receiving Yards	10,551	3rd
Receiving Touchdowns	103	2nd

Gates, one of the game’s greatest, is nine touchdowns shy of Tony Gonzalez for the most among tight ends in NFL history—currently at 103—which he could very realistically surpass by the end of next season. And if he truly wants to go out a winner, he'd be better suited at seeking other options this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

It's in his admirably prideful nature as an drafted rookie who has scored more touchdowns since signing with the Chargers than any NFL player the last 12 seasons, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.

And he's still playing at a remarkably high level, currently sixth in the league at his position with 62.1 receiving yards per game. Despite missing the first four contests due to a suspension stemming from performance-enhancing drugs, Gates is the team’s third-leading receiver with 497 yards and four touchdowns on 45 catches. 

Despite their struggles, the Chargers would be ill-advised to move on from Gates. And if he truly cares about finishing on top, he'd be ill-advised to return to the team he's spent his entire career with.