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Antonio Gates wants to return for his 17th season and a shot at 1,000 receptions

Age is but a number for Antonio Gates.

At 38, the veteran tight end finished his 16th season on Sunday when his Los Angeles Chargers fell to the New England Patriots, 41-28, but Gates is hoping to return for another.

Gates is closing in on a number of milestones, including 1,000 career receptions, 12,000 career receiving yards and 120 receiving touchdowns. Already one of the most accomplished tight ends in NFL history, Gates has the chance to pad his resume for the Hall of Fame and maybe get that elusive Super Bowl ring.

Even at his advanced age, Gates proved crucial in the postseason this year with nine catches for 76 yards and a touchdown in two games. However, Gates almost did not return to the Chargers for the 2018 season, and a reunion in 2019 remains up in the air.

Veteran tight end Antonio Gates wants to return for his 17th season with the Chargers. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Veteran tight end Antonio Gates wants to return for his 17th season with the Chargers. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2018 reunion was an injury away from not happening

It’s hard to imagine Gates playing in a different uniform, but it almost happened this season. The Chargers were planning to go into 2018 with Hunter Henry as their main tight end and only signed Gates in September after Henry suffered a torn ACL in May.

Gates didn’t put up a peak season from the late 2000s, but he still led Chargers tight ends with 28 catches for 333 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Gates was surprised that his longtime team didn’t show more interest, but he was happy to be back nonetheless.

“Maybe they felt I was on the brink of whether or not I want to be here or not, and they had to make choices early on,” Gates said after Sunday’s game. “I want to be sure to remind them that I want to come back. I want to be part of something special, and I think we have that here. But that’s out of my control in the sense where I can only do what I can do. And we’ll see out it goes.”

Gates is approaching several milestones

If Gates does return to play next season — whether with the Chargers or elsewhere — he will have a chance to reach several big milestones.

Gates already has the most touchdowns among tight ends (116), but he could also break a tie with Larry Fitzgerald for the sixth-most among all players. He’s also sitting at 11,841 yards, and with half the production he’s had each of the last two seasons, he could become the 27th player and third tight end to reach 12,000 yards.

The harder milestone to reach will be 1,000 receptions, since he’s only sitting at 955. Gates hasn’t had 45 receptions in a season since the 2016 campaign, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility if he clings onto the right team.

“Of course I think I can still play,” Gates said. “Do they think I can still play? That’s just something — I know [the Patriots] think I can still play because they keep doubling me,” Gates said with a laugh. “A lot of teams think I can still play because they find a way to still double me on third down. That just remains to be seen.”

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