"It's awesome!" he said. "He's been a great player in our league for a long time. A Hall of Fame player, so it's going to be an honor to play with him! The only bad part is that he and I use the same barber, so now I will be moved down to the number two spot now that he's back. The barber had already warned me that he has the number one spot!"

And of course, those who have had the privilege of playing with the legendary tight end in the past also couldn't be more excited to have him back for the 2018 campaign.

Here's some more reaction from inside the locker room on the return of Antonio Gates:

LT Russell Okung: "I'm very happy to have Antonio Gates back. Our goal is to win the AFC West, and we will need all hands on deck. Gates is a red zone threat and a fierce competitor we need going into the season. We're a more dynamic team with him, and I can't wait to see what he does this year."

FB Derek Watt: "It's great to have Gates back both on the field and in the locker room. He's a future Hall of Famer with a ton of experience and an incredible skillset that will definitely help us again this season. I know that he'll come in ready to go right away. I can't wait to get back to work with him!"

WR Tyrell Williams: "It's awesome to hear he's coming back! Having him here in the locker room and around the building is huge. And of course, on the field, we all know what he does there!"