08-23-2005, 05:11 PM
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Points: 63,775, Level: 100 |   | Antonio Gates ends holdout with 6 Year deal with SD Chargers
Antonio Gates finally got the deal he was looking for from the San Diego Chargers.
Gates agreed to terms on a new six-year contract Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed, but Gates, who held out of most of San Diego's traning camp, wanted to be paid in the range of the league's other top tight ends
However, the All-Pro tight end was placed on the Roster Exempt List on Monday, meaning he'll have to sit out the final two preseason games and the season opener against Dallas on Sept. 11. He can be added to the active roster on Sept. 12.
The Chargers had given Gates a Saturday deadline to report or he would be placed on the exempt list. On Monday, Gates said he had planned to report on Saturday, but travel problems kept him from doing so.
"You don't understand," Gates said Monday. "I tried to come in Saturday but I couldn't get a flight. So we ended up calling and explaining we weren't able to make it in Saturday. So it wasn't my intention to actually miss the deadline."
That was news to the Chargers, who despite 10 months of talks have been unable to agree with Gates' agent on terms of a long-term contract.
The team never mentioned Gates' failure to get a flight, either in a statement Saturday afternoon announcing that Gates had missed the deadline, or on Sunday when general manager A.J. Smith held a news conference at halftime of a 36-21 exhibition win over St. Louis.
"As you know, all the rumors were that he was on his way," Smith said Sunday. "We had not officially heard that. But we got a phone call before we kicked off. He is on his way. He is going to sign the tender this evening."
Gates had a breakout year in 2004, helping the Chargers go 12-4 and reach the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Gates caught 13 touchdown passes -- a league record for tight ends -- and led the Chargers with 81 catches for 964 yards.
In an attempt to break an impasse, the team sent Colona a letter more than a week ago ordering Gates to be in camp and sign a contract by Saturday, or be put on the Roster Exempt List.
"I didn't really feel upset about the situation," Gates said. "I thought it could have been done different ways. For the most part I want to move forward from that. I'm back here, I'm healthy, I'm ready to get ready to play."
But he won't be able to play until the second regular-season game, Sept. 18 at Denver.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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