Getty Image / Stephen Dunn
The Los Angeles Chargers franchise is finally doing the right thing, as reports indicate they’ll be inducting Antonio Gates into the team Hall of Fame.
He’s easily one of the best players to wear a Chargers uniform, so it only makes sense for him to be honored in this way.
According to Adam Schefter, Gates will officially be inducted on December 10 during halftime of the Chargers game against the Denver Broncos.
Former Chargers’ TE Antonio Gates, the NFL’s all-time leader in TD receptions from a tight end, will be inducted into the Chargers’ Hall of Fame on Sunday, December 10, during halftime of the Chargers-Broncos divisional matchup at SoFi Stadium.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 16, 2023
It’s awesome to see Antonio Gates finally be placed into the Chargers Hall of Fame. He’ll be joining other legends such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Leslie O’Neal, and Junior Seau.
Gates will be enshrined in the Chargers HOF for the rest of eternity. Meanwhile, he will be eligible to enter the NFL Hall of Fame next year in 2024.
The former superstar tight end more than deserves to be honored in both the Chargers and NFL HOF’s. Especially considering he racked up 11,841 receiving yards off of 955 receptions and secured 116 touchdowns.
Antonio Gates currently holds the record for most career touchdowns for a tight end and it’s a record that may hold for quite sometime.
Of the tight ends currently in the NFL, Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham are the closest to reaching Gates’ record. However, they both will need to put in some serious work to reach 116 career touchdowns.
Kelce currently has 72 while Graham has 85.
With that said, Antonio Gates is a true legend of the sport and is more than deserving to be a Hall of Famer for the Chargers franchise. He certainly has done enough to earn a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame as well.