Gates taken off physically unable to perform list

Chargers TE takes physical and particpates in parts of practice

Video

King's Notebook: Week 11
Nov. 22: Dan Patrick and Peter King break down the wild finish in Detroit, highlighting the clutch play of Matthew Stafford and the decision making of Eric Mangini.

NBC Sports

ProFootballTalk headlines

Phillips thinks Romo will play

Vince Young flashes his potential

Schottenheimer's name surfaces in Buffalo

Buzz building for Holmgren to Seahawks

Niners drop tampering claim

Bills contact Bill Cowher

Video: Football from NBC Sports

Browns ‘sick, disappointed’ with their loss
Nov. 23: Eric Mangini and Brady Quinn can’t believe Cleveland lost to Detroit, but it’s even worse how they lost.

Bears’ losses ‘hard’ on Cutler

Redskins still reeling from ‘tough one’

‘I’m just saying there were a lot of them’

Chiefs making progress

Confident Eagles top Bears

Sanchez off the mark

Slideshow

Sideline support
Check out some of the NFL cheerleaders from across the league.

more photos

Slide show

Week in Sports Pictures
Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more.

more photos

updated 11:13 p.m. ET Aug. 19, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was taken off the physically unable to perform list on Tuesday and participated in parts of practice after passing a physical.

Gates had surgery nearly six months ago to repair a tear in the plantar plate of his left foot. He injured his left big toe during a playoff game against Tennessee last January. He was placed on the PUP list in late July.

“Today was a pretty good day. I really pushed it. I gave it my all to see what I could do,” said Gates, a Pro Bowl selection each of the past four seasons.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

He said his prospects look good for playing in the regular-season opener against the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 7, but only if he doesn’t have any setbacks with his foot.

“I hate to look so far down the road because this is a tricky situation,” Gates said. “It’s one of those things where it feels really good one day and you come back another day and it’s sore.

“It’s one of those injuries where you have to really monitor and make sure I’m not overdoing it.”

If Gates hadn’t passed a physical before the final roster cutdown on Aug. 30, he would have been required to miss the first six games of the regular season.

Defensive end Luis Castillo also returned to practice after missing most of the past two weeks due to back pain. Castillo signed a five-year, $43 million contract last month.

Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman (knee) missed both of Tuesday’s practices.

ALSO ON THIS STORY

Discuss: Sound off on the NFL at Newsvine.com