Chasing a Super Bowl ring once again, Antonio Gates said he trained in recent months — long after Chargers leaders had moved on from him — but when the Indianapolis Colts fell out of playoff contention in November, his decision was all but made for him.
“I just felt like it was time to move on in the next chapter of my life,” Gates told reporters on a conference call Wednesday. “I felt like I gave football all that I had, I gave the organization all that I had. It was just time to move on.”
The three-time All-Pro, who spent 14 of his 16 NFL seasons in San Diego, will still draw an NFL paycheck as a Chargers ambassador.