Gates is scheduled to hit free agency March 9. Chances are he won’t make it that far. The Chargers plan to meet with his agent, Tom Condon, in Indianapolis next week at the NFL Scouting Combine. Whether a deal is struck there as it was for tackle King Dunlap in 2015 remains to be seen, but no one should be surprised to see a deal come soon enough. While no timetable is set, an air of formality surrounds it all. This is where Gates wants to be. He was reminded of that following last year’s 4-12 season. However disappointed, he basked to some degree in the locker room following the finale, having seen the undermanned Chargers lead the eventual Super Bowl champion Broncos in the fourth quarter before losing in Denver. The effort helped validate that his first professional marriage should remain his only. “I’d love to finish my career here,” said Gates, who will turn 36 in June. “I know one thing: we’re going to fight despite whatever we’re going through. We’ll see how it goes.”

Source: Michael Gehlken of SanDiegoUnionTribune.com