Gates, Castillo return to practice field as season approaches

By Tom Robinson  |   Thursday, August 21, 2008  |  Comments( 6 )

San Diego Chargers
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The San Diego Chargers fell short in their second exhibition game, but they continued to move toward the more important goal of being healthy and ready for the season opener.

The Chargers’ biggest question marks revolve around health issues and the team seems to be progressing in the right direction in those areas.

Coach Norv Turner chose to keep quarterback Philip Rivers out of the team's 7-6 loss to the St. Louis Rams to protect his knee. Turner knew the Chargers would be going without two regular linemen and facing a team that blitzes often while he was using young running backs who would be forced into duty to pick up those blitzes.

Instead, Turner will likely play Rivers in Monday’s preseason game with the Seattle Seahawks.

Between those two games, the Chargers also received other encouraging news on the injury front.

Tight end Antonio Gates came off the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday. He passed his physical and rejoined individual drills that day. Rivers was throwing to Gates on the field prior to Saturday’s game with St. Louis. However, don’t expect to see Gates in the preseason; that would be an unnecessary risk. The move to have him rejoin practice, however, increases the likelihood of his surgically repaired toe being sufficiently healed for the season opener.

Getting Rivers some game snaps will be helpful for the timing of the offense as a whole. Rivers and Gates can regain their connection once the season opens without holding up the progress of the entire offense.

Defensive end Luis Castillo, who has been out with a sore back, also returned to practice this week. Castillo did individual work Monday, returned to group drills Tuesday and he could be on the field for the Seattle game.

Preseason wins and losses are not nearly as important as getting the team ready for Week 1. For an established contender like the Chargers with several veterans trying to return to health, the priorities are even easier to clearly establish.

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CommentsComments: 6  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
football0325		11:15 PM
08/21/2008
I say keep everyone out until the regular season begins. There is no point on losing a Rivers or a Gates during training ...
No.2
jacotaco3		10:25 AM
08/22/2008
Yea pre-season is over rated having one of your franchise players hurt when it doesn't matter would bring a huge blow to your ...
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No.3
RedskinFan21ST		11:27 AM
08/22/2008
I agree with you both, but I just think that they want to get the guys some work before the season starts to shake off the rust. ...
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