Fans in attendance for the Chargers home opener on Sunday have a strong chance of seeing history in the making. That’s because future Hall-of-Famer 
Once Gates hauls in those three catches, he will become just the fifth tight end and the 59th player in NFL history to have 600 career catches. The magnitude of the milestone is not lost on him, either.
“When you accomplish a feat like that, it’s a glimpse of your entire career and what you’ve accomplished in your past,” he said. “Ideally, you strive to get the most out of your God given ability, so for me, it will be special because I understand how difficult it is to have that many catches. It’s something that you look at and can tell your children about one day. You can say, ‘Look, I played in this league and made this many catches, and it was a battle each and every year. It was never easy.’ And at the same time, it shows a consistency and a dedication of what you always talk about when you tell young kids to follow their dreams.”
Gates also has a message for fans worried about the rib he bruised in Monday’s victory over the Oakland Raiders.
“I’m fine,” he said, even though he did not participate in practice in order to give it some rest. “We are just being precautionary about it. There’s no doubt I’ll be out there on Sunday.”
