Los Angeles Chargers All-Decade Team: The offense
By Jason Reed
Los Angeles Chargers All-Decade tight ends:
TE1: Antonio Gates
There is absolutely no debate that Antonio Gates was the best tight end of the decade for the Chargers. Although Gates’ prime did not occur in this decade, he still linked up with Philip Rivers for 57 touchdowns to go along with his 5,618 receiving yards.
Gates is the greatest tight end in team history and is arguably the greatest of all-time, if not 1B behind Tony Gonzalez. Gates is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and legitimately changed the way that football looks at the tight end position, helping pave way for the best tight ends in the league today.
Gates is an all-timer and if you are building a Mount Rushmore for the Chargers, you cannot leave him off.
TE2: Hunter Henry
The second-best tight end of the decade is the guy that took Gates’ job, Hunter Henry. Henry did not come around until late in the decade and has had some bad injury luck but when he is on the field he is a very dangerous pass-catching tight end.
Henry’s 1,709 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns might seem like nothing compared to Gates but he averaged just 2.5 yards fewer per game than Gates, averaged more yards per reception and has scored a touchdown in 41 percent of his games played.
- Honorable mention: Ladarius Green