When people think of legendary players for the Los Angeles Chargers, they might gravitate toward Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Junior Seau, and Philip Rivers. However, one of the most successful and effective players happens to be Antonio Gates.
Gates has cemented himself as one of the best tight ends to ever hit the gridiron, amassing 116 TDs in his wake, which is leaps and bounds better than the rest of the legends at the position. Though Tony Gonzalez has 111, the next closest person is Rob Gronkowski with 93.
Gates was a monster on the field during his tenure in the NFL, and the Chargers will honor the man this Sunday by inducting him into their Hall of Fame. We imagine Gates will be a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he can at least take in the huge honor he will receive from his long-time.
While we imagine the man will reflect on his career leading up to his induction by the Chargers, Gates has revealed what his top 5 touchdowns are from his illustrious career.
Chargers Antonio Gates' Top 5 Career Touchdowns
1. Week 10 Against the Minnesota Vikings in 2003
Every offensive player who moves from the college world into the NFL will always remember the first time they scored a touchdown. That is why this play matters a great deal.
Antonio Gates had gone undrafted, but the Chargers saw something special in him. During the game, Doug Flutie dropped back and caught Gates in the corner of the endzone for his first career TD.
2. Week 15 Against the Cleveland Browns in 2004
By the time the 2004 season rolled around, Antonio Gates had already made a name for himself. This TD catch matters to me, as it was the longest of his career. What makes this TD even more special is that it was done in snowy conditions.
Every quarterback struggles in cold conditions, but that did not stop Drew Brees from delivering a dart to Gates on the left side of the field. Gates had enough athleticism to blow past the defender and not step out of bounds, even in the snowy conditions.
This 72-yard TD would be the longest of his storied career.
3. Week 16 Against the Indianapolis Colts in 2004
Having back-to-back mentions of the same season is just a testament to the amazing ability that Antonio Gates possessed.
Gates chose this touchdown pass simply because it led to him being one of the many records he would smash in his career. The game that was mentioned right above had Gates at 12 TDs on the season, tying the single-season record for the tight end position.
It was the TD pass against the Colts that would elevate his status even more, as he would be the first player in NFL history to land 13 TDs in a single season.
Drew Brees was being chased down and threw a simple shovel pass to Gates, making him the record holder at the tight end position.
4. Week 8 Against the Denver Broncos in 2014
At this point in his career, Antonio Gates had already been named an eight-time Pro Bowler who had also earned First-Team All-Pro honors three times. Simply put, Gates was already a legend.
Though this TD would be #95, it was the yardage that mattered. Gates only needed 30 yards to surpass Chargers' legend Lance Alworth. Gates would surpass Alworth in style.
On a 31-yard TD grab from Philip Rivers, Gates would etch himself as the franchise leader in yardage for the Chargers.
5. Week 2 Against the Miami Dolphins in 2017
Antonio Gates had already broken the single-season TD record for tight ends and became the Chargers leader in total yards, but he was not done yet.
Week 2 in 2017 was ready for Gates to break another record for the Chargers, as he would catch his 112th TD. Gates had tied Tony Gonzalez in 2016 with 111 TDs, but he wanted to surpass the man, and he did just that against the Dolphins.
Gates leaped over two defenders as Philip Rivers rocketed the ball to him, giving him the record for 112 TDs. No tight end has come close to this number, and we are unsure if they will.
Travis Kelce could do so, but he is already 34 years old and only has 77. Gates is a Chargers legend for so many reasons, and he will have the honor of being in the team's Hall of Fame till the end of time.
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