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Antonio Gates is retiring from the NFL.
After playing 16 seasons with the Chargers, Gates announced in a letter that he posted to his Twitter account on Tuesday that he is leaving the sport.
— Antonio Gates (@AntonioGates85) January 14, 2020
Gates was originally recruited by Nick Saban to play football at Michigan State but ended up leaving the school when he wasn’t allowed to also play basketball. He wound up playing hoops at Kent State, where he led the Golden Flashes to the Elite Eight.
But at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, his stature was a much better fit for the NFL than NBA. Signed as an undrafted free agent, Gates went on to earn eight consecutive Pro Bowl selections from the 2004 through 2011 seasons, first-team All-Pro in three straight seasons from 2004 through 2006.
Along with holding the NFL record for touchdown catches by a tight end (116), Gates is the franchise leader in receptions (955) and receiving yards (11,841). With 236 career games as a Charger, the 39-year-old ranks second only to long snapper David Binn in franchise service time.
Even though he wasn’t able to lock up a Super Bowl ring during his professional career, his impressive resume makes him a near-lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he becomes eligible in five years.