Gates seemed to be an afterthought in Los Angeles after the team signed Virgil Green in free agency, knowing that it still had Hunter Henry on the roster. Of course, that all changed when Henry tore his ACL in May.
The team was still in no hurry to sign Gates. Whether that is because Gates didn’t want to participate in training camp or because the Chargers were hoping a guy like Sean Culkin or Braedon Bowman would step up so that they didn’t have to bring Gates back is anyone’s guess.
In any event, the team signed Gates just after the final game of the preseason to give the team another option at tight end.