Luke Kuechly wasn’t the only one to call it quits from the NFL on Tuesday.
Chargers legend Antonio Gates also announced his retirement after 16 seasons in the league. Gates all but surely is bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as he leaves the game as the Chargers franchise leader in receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards to go along with eight Pro Bowl selections.
The NFL shared a photo of Gates shortly after he made his retirement announcement, and Devin McCourty found himself in the comment section with an anecdote that summed up just how good the tight end was in his heyday.
“I remember my second year we basically put 3 guys on him…#BEAST…congrats,” McCourty wrote.
Bill Belichick has a tendency to take away the opposition’s most impactful offensive player, even if it means assigning over a third of the Patriots’ defensive personnel on one person, apparently.
As for McCourty, his NFL future is uncertain. The star safety is set to be one of 19 Patriots players to hit the open market in March when the new league year opens.
