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Glad To See L.T. Gone … Tuesday Cup O’Chiefs
February 23, 2010 - Bob Gretz |
The marriage between the San Diego Chargers and LaDainian Tomlinson is over.
That should be cause for celebration throughout the Chiefs Nation on this Tuesday. Although Tomlinson plans to continue his career and hopes to do it with a Super Bowl contender, it’s unlikely that he will pop up twice a year on the Chiefs radar screen.
And that’s a good thing for the Kansas City defense. L.T. got a shot at the Chiefs 17 times during his nine seasons (2001-09) with the Chargers and he made the most of those opportunities. Tomlinson ran for 1,488 yards, or more rushing yards against the Texans/Chiefs than any running back piled up in 50 years.
There’s a basket of impressive numbers that he collected against the Chiefs; we’ll get to those in a minute because they are historic.
This is a football breakup similar to any relationship where one party loses interest in the other. Despite Tomlinson’s remarkable career with 12,490 rushing yards, 3,955 receiving yards and 153 total touchdowns, the Chargers offense has moved on. Head coach Norv Turner has fallen hard for QB Phillip Rivers and wants the scheme to roll through him. General Manager A.J. Smith doesn’t want to pay Tomlinson his scheduled $2 million roster bonus on March 1. No money for the past; only for future production.
It all qualifies under the category of it’s not what have you done lately, but what are you going to do next?
“It was a longtime coming, but I knew it was coming,” Tomlinson told SI.com on Monday. “Now that it’s official I can kind of look to the next step in my career and playing football for someone else … the next team I go to has to have a chance of winning a title. I can think of a few teams off the top of my head, but that’s what my agent (Tom Condon) is for. I’m sure he’s going to do some research, talk to some teams and present some options to me.
“I do know that I would have to go to a team that has a (proven) quarterback, a place where you know you have a chance to win because of the quarterback.”
A Super Bowl has eluded Tomlinson and like all players who can see the end of their career on the horizon, he craves a chance to play in the final game. And like so many Hall of Fame quality runners in the past – Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, Franco Harris, O.J. Simpson – his pride does not allow him to believe that it’s time to finish his career. The last two seasons have been the lowest in production over nine seasons with 1,110 rushing yards in ‘08 and just 730 rushing yards in 14 games last year. Nagging injuries have bothered him for the last few seasons, evidence that his work load of 24 touches per game in the regular season and playoffs had worn him down. He had seven straight seasons with 375 touches or more.
If Tomlinson is willing to play for less money, then he might find some contenders interested in his services. Teams like New England, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Indianapolis and Minnesota could all be landing spots. His desire to play for a contender with a proven quarterback would take him out of the AFC West, as Matt Cassel, Kyle "Pro Bowl" Orton and JaMarcus Russell have not yet proven they are capable of taking their team on a successful post-season run.
And that brings us back to Tomlinson and his history against the red and gold. Tomlinson was the biggest opposing thorn in the side of the Chiefs in their first 50 years:
* His 1,488 rushing yards was significantly more than the No. 2 rusher, Marcus Allen with 961 yards while playing with the Raiders.
* His 1,965 total offensive yards is eclipsed only by former Raiders WR Tim Brown, who had 2,056 total yards against the Chiefs. Tomlinson did his in 17 games, or 115.6 yards per game. Brown got his yards in 30 games.
* No offensive player has scored more touchdowns against the Chiefs than L.T., with 14 (13 rushing/1 receiving).
* No opposing running back had more big runs against the K.C. defense with 38 at 10 yards or more.
* In 2006, his 85-yard run was the longest rushing play against the Chiefs in their history.
* His 756 rushing yards at Arrowhead is tops among all visiting running backs and more than any visiting back has gained in Kansas City in 47 seasons of Chiefs football.
No, the Chiefs will not be unhappy that LaDainian Tomlinson has to find a new home. Somewhere in the NFC would be preferable
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"old enough to remember what a red and gold super bowl looks like"
"hopefully young enough to see another"
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