Tony Gonzalez On Antonio Gates, I'd Retire If I Were Him

Tony Gonzalez says if he were in Antonio Gates' cleats ... the pair would be hung up in the closet for good -- 'cause the ex-NFL superstar says he'd retire if he were A.G.!!

"I'd probably be done," he says.

Remember ... the Chargers cut ties with the superstar tight end this offseason -- but after Hunter Henry's knee injury, there were rumors L.A. could bring him back.

With just over a week until the regular season begins ... that doesn't seem like it's happening -- and Gonzalez tells us that would spell the end of his career if he were Antonio.

"I probably [would hang them up], but that's me," Tony says.