Antonio Gates is one of the last healthy bodies the San Diego Chargers have on the roster and even he is not healthy. The tight end has been dealing with a knee injury that continues to linger and be an issue on the field. However, the Chargers simply cannot afford for him to miss any time considering they have lost Keenan Allen for the season and potentially Malcom Floyd for the year as well. Gates admits playing through the pain is not easy.
According to the San Diego Union Tribune, Gates is expected to play in Week 11 simply because the Chargers need him to. The bye week gave the veteran a bit of rest, but he is still not at 100 percent which is factoring into his production.
"You can tell," said Gates, via the San Diego Union Tribune. "I'm having issues with guys at the line, defensive ends. I know it, though. I'm out here playing. I'm fighting. They got guys on me that ... I know it's an issue. I can feel it. I feel the sharp pains in cuts. I can't explode. The fatigue in certain parts of my leg. I know it's all from compensating from the knee. I'm just trying to fight through it and lead by example to show these guys what it's like to be a pro in this league. This is what it takes to be successful."
With Allen out, the Chargers are keeping their fingers crossed that Floyd can make it back as a torn labrum in his shoulder is threatening to end his career. Head coach Mike McCoy told the media that the receiver is working very hard to get back on the field and there some hope that he can play again potentially as early as Sunday. That would be big for Philip Rivers as both Dontrelle Inman and Stevie Johnson have struggled to fill the receiver void.
"He's working extremely hard," McCoy said, via ESPN.com. "He told me the other day that he'd love to go out there and play this past Sunday and we had a bye, which was fortunate for him to recover. We'll see how long it takes him. He's working extremely hard with James (head trainer James Collins), just like everybody else on the football team that's been dinged at some time or another this year. So we hope to get him back sooner instead later."
With injuries being a major issue for the team, players like Danny Woodhead could become safety blankets for Rivers along with Melvin Gordon. Preparing to face a weaker defense in the Kansas City Chiefs, the Chargers have a chance to get their third win of the year. Inman and Johnson along with Woodhead and Gordon might be the best playmakers San Diego has to work with for the time being.
