Chargers All-Pro TE Gates ends holdout

By John Onan  |   Monday, August 22, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

NFL Football News
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After missing the deadline to return to the team and avoid a three-game suspension, San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates ended his holdout by signing a one year tender worth $380,000 on Sunday night. He is expected to be back on the practice field today. Although he has returned, as of right now his suspension is still in effect, which means he will have to sit out the team's regular season opener at home versus the Dallas Cowboys on September 11th.

The San Diego Chargers sent Gates' agent Andre Colona a letter over a week ago indicating that if Gates didn't end his holdout by Saturday afternoon the team would place him on the Roster Exempt List, which would result in the immediate three-game suspension. Colona had been seeking a long-term deal for his client with a hefty salary increase.

Colona has gone on record claiming that NFL Commissioner could step in and reduce or eliminate the suspension if requested to do so by the Chargers. But an NFL spokesman was quoted as saying this is not true; that there is no such rule that would allow the league to do this.
Antonio Gates had a career season in 2004 for the Chargers, catching 81 passes for 964 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to being named second team All-Pro.
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