Tight end Antonio Gates remains a free agent a few weeks out from training camps, but an old teammate believes the future Hall of Famer is alright with that.
"I believe the only place Antonio wants to play is the Chargers ... I think he has the mind frame of 'if I go play it's gonna be for the Chargers if it's not the Chargers then I'm good, I won't play," former running back LaDainian Tomlinson said on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
The Chargers allowed Gates to become a free agent at the beginning of the 2018 league year when his previous contract officially expired.
The team was expected to hand over the starting tight end job to 23-year-old Hunter Henry, but Henry suffered a torn ACL in an offseason practice and was ruled out for what would have been his third season.
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco and quarterback Philip Rivers have both hinted at the possibility of a return for Gates, who has spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the Chargers organization, but nothing has materialized yet. Veteran Virgil Green remains atop the Chargers' tight end depth chart.
Tomlinson serves as a special assistant in the Chargers' front office and played with Gates for seven seasons.
