San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner says injured Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates is day-to-day, but a dislocated left big toe will almost certainly keep Gates from playing in Sunday's divisional playoff game at Indianapolis, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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"It'll be day-to-day and we'll see how it is at the end of the week," a hopeful Turner said.
The team will keep Gates active and hope he can play in the AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl if the Chargers make it that far, the paper reports.
Gates was San Diego's leading receiver with 75 catches for 984 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.
Running back LaDainian Tomlinson said it would rank as a "huge loss" if Gates were to miss the game against the Colts.
"If he can't go, obviously that's a part that we're going to miss because of the attention he attracts from defenses," Tomlinson said. "Nobody is going to take his place, but we've got to have somebody make a play or two for us in order to kind of help us get through missing Antonio."
Colts coach Tony Dungy compared Gates' versatility to that of Indy's Dallas Clark. Gates lines up in tight formation, in the slot and split wide. He can go over the middle or go deep. His speed makes him difficult for a linebacker to cover and his 6-4, 260-pound frame and strength make him a matchup problem for defensive backs.
"I think it would change a lot, and it wouldn't hurt my feelings if they rested him up and tried to get him healthy for the following week," Dungy said. "He's a tremendous player, he's a big, big part of what they do. He's a tough matchup, much like Dallas Clark is a tough matchup because they can move him a lot of places. . . . They go to him in such big ways, it does dictate what you can do. I don't know that they'll tell us if he's going to play or not, but it certainly would make a big difference."
Brandon Manumaleuna would start in Gates' place.
Manumaleuna is a better blocker than Gates, but not as good as a receiver. He had only has 10 receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown during the regular season.
"When you lose the best tight end in the game, it certainly hurts," Rivers said. "Other guys have to step up."
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The team announced Gates has a sprained toe, but that is also is dislocated.
"I don't know how long it's going to be," General Manager A.J. Smith said. "Any time that a star player is away from you, obviously it hurts you."
Gates caught a short pass from quarterback Philip Rivers at the Tennessee 27-yard-line during the second quarter of Sunday's 17-6 win and was gang tackled by a pair of Titans with 3:34 left. Gates was injured when his foot got stuck in the ground as he was tackled and pushed back on it.
He stayed on the ground and called for medical assistance before being carted off the field.
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