Before Antonio Gates could be on the field Monday night, the Chargers needed to clear a spot on the 53-man roster.
They have.
Safety Adrian Phillips was notified Monday morning that he'd been waived, a source said. He likely will be re-signed to the practice squad, presuming he clears waivers Tuesday afternoon. This opens the door for Gates, an eight-time Pro Bowl tight end, to make his season debut, coming off a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.
Gates returned in good shape and practiced all of last week.
He did so under roster exception, so he was not part of the 53-man roster.