LaDainian Tomlinson is now a member of the NFL Network as the former running played analyst during the 2013 NFL Draft. However, the San Diego Chargers were hoping Tomlinson would consider being a member of their team for one more season as they apparently attempted to persuade Tomlinson out of retirement with the chance to return to the field once again. Tomlinson told Yahoo! Sports that the Chargers approached him back in February about returning to the NFL for the 2013 season.
The future Hall of Famer met with head coach Mike McCoy and general manager Tom Telesco during the Scouting Combine and the two asked him to consider coming back.
"They said, 'You can come back and carry it ten or 12 times a game. We'd like to have you here,'" Tomlinson said.
The running back retired back in June of last year. He signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Chargers and retired with the team he became a star with. While San Diego hoped he would have a return to glory for one more season, Tomlinson said he intends on remaining retired. While flattered by the offer, Tomlinson is not considering it.
"No, because when I made the decision to walk away, I wrestled with it long and hard, and I knew it was final. Once I retired, that was it. My mind is in a different place. Mentally, going back would have been too hard," Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson was once the best running back in the NFL. He spent nine seasons with the Chargers. He peaked in 2006, rushing for 1,815 yards for 28 touchdowns. He was named the league MVP that year, along with Offensive Player of the Year. However, he began to decline in 2009, leading to his release from San Diego. He signed with the New York Jets in 2010, rushing for 914 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He followed that up with a disappointing 2011, rushing for only 280 years in 14 games. After that, retirement was the best possible solution.
Tomlinson retired with a decorated resume. He set an NFL record of 18 straight games with a touchdown, along with most rushing touchdowns in a season. He was named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2006. He is the league's fifth-leading rusher of all-time and ranks second in most touchdowns of all-time.
An interesting view on this is that San Diego preferred to ask Tomlinson to return from retirement instead of signing a free agent like Ahmad Bradshaw. The Chargers signed running back Danny Woodhead in the offseason to help the struggling ground game.
