Antonio Gates

Eli Manning was not elected in his first year on the ballot. Gates is widely viewed as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the sport, and finished his career with 955 receptions and 116 receiving touchdowns. Sharpe — brother of tight end Shannon Sharpe — was dominant before his career ended short due to a neck injury, while both Allens were defensive stalwarts during their time.

The 39-year-old's playing days already looked to be over after he went unsigned during the 2019 season, but Gates has now made his retirement official. He'll step away from the game as one of the most accomplished tight ends in NFL history and as a franchise icon for the Chargers, with whom he spent all 16 years of his career. He earned Pro Bowl selections in eight of those seasons, including three consecutive first-team All-Pro nods between 2004 and 2006, during which he recorded 22 touchdowns. Gates likely has a spot waiting for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he's first eligible for induction in 2024.

Gates was sidelined for the Chargers' first two practices of the week while managing the knee issue, but was back on the field Friday in a limited capacity. If Gates ends up being ruled out Sunday, fellow tight end Virgil Green would see a modest uptick in his Week 11 fantasy outlook.

The ailment caused Gates to miss two practices this week, with the tight end only returning to the field in a limited capacity. Gates has apparently made enough progress in his recovery over the last couple of days for the Chargers to feel optimistic about his availability, but the 38-year-old may only be slated for a limited role behind Virgil Green. After logging 33 offensive snaps in the season-opening loss to the Chiefs, Gates only played 11 snaps in the Week 2 triumph over the Bills.