Gates Dealing With Hamstring Injury

[Giantmetfan07]

  November 29th, 2013

Antonio Gates missed five of 72 offensive snaps Sunday.
 
The way his hamstring felt, it could have been more.
 
The Chargers tight end was back on the field Friday, present at an all-important practice after missing the previous two days. He was a full participant and is listed as probable to face the Bengals on Sunday, but the hamstring ailment is not a small, sweep-under-the-rug matter.
 
Hamstring injuries never are.
 
"It's tricky," Gates said Friday. "It's different. It's one of those injuries where you can't fully grasp whether or not you can do something because it's all running. Everything is based off running and power and holding off people on blocks, and the hamstring is a big part of that. Without the lower body, you couldn't play in this league. I'll see how it goes. I'm going to attack this rehab. I've got two more days. That's the best part about it.  If I had to play today, would I go or not? I'm not sure. But I can definitely give myself a couple days to see how I feel."
 
The Chiefs, as teams do, paid Gates heavy attention in Sunday's game.
 
While the tight end can pinpoint, just by looking on film, when the injury began to stop him from running like himself, he stayed in the contest, as all the attention he received helped free other weapons in the Chargers offense.
 
"It ended up working out for us," Gates said.
 
Center Nick Hardwick (neck), safety Darrell Stuckey (concussion) and Gates all had matching activity levels this week, not practicing Wednesday or Thursday but working in full Friday. Hardwick is listed probable; Stuckey is questionable.