The San Diego Chargers wanted LaDainian Tomlinson to come out of retirement and play next season, according to Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports. Normally, career comeback attempts are initiated by players who, after a few bored months, get the itch to don their pads again. Tomlinson, 34, says that the Chargers offered him a chance to carry the ball 10-12 times a game, however.
Chargers asked LaDainian Tomlinson to make NFL comeback
The Chargers wanted LaDainian Tomlinson to make an NFL comeback this season. The future Hall of Fame running back respectfully declined.
Kent Horner
“I met [new general manager] Tom Telesco and [rookie head coach] Mike McCoy at the [NFL scouting] combine, and they asked me to come back and play,” Tomlinson said. “I saw [executive vice president] John Spanos at a restaurant in Indy, and he introduced me to them, and they brought it up. At first I thought they weren’t really serious, but they kept talking about it, and I realized it was real.”
The Chargers' running game was anemic last season, as Ryan Mathews struggled with multiple injuries behind a porous offensive line. The Chargers could use some more depth, with Danny Woodhead being more of a third-down back and Ronnie Brown proving ineffective as a free agent signing last season.
Tomlinson could have been of some real help in San Diego next season. The future Hall of Fame running back said he didn’t give the offer any serious consideration, however.
“No, because when I made the decision to walk away, I wrestled with it long and hard, and I knew it was final,” Tomlinson said. “Once I retired, that was it. My mind is in a different place. Mentally, going back would have been too hard.”
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