LaDainian Tomlinson says he has played his last game as a Charger, according to a published report.
"I'm not coming back, I've accepted it," Tomlinson told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday.
L.T. is jumping the gun a little, though -- the Chargers brass will meet over the next couple weeks to discuss their strategy for the coming season. As of today, Tomlinson is under contract and the team owes him a $2 million bonus if he is still on the roster as of March 5. His salary for the coming season is $5 million, with $1 million guaranteed.
But, honestly, L.T. is admitting what most of us have suspected all along: He won't be back. He has "mixed emotions," he told the paper. "It's a mixed feeling."
Of course it is. He played for nine seasons here, rushing for more yards and scoring more touchdowns than any runningback this decade. He was the league MVP in 2006 and was the face of the team.
But now, his role has changed and so have his skills, and this past years, he didn't get through the hole the way he did in his prime.
One more quote: "There is a part I won't miss. The football part is fun. But the business part sucks. I won't miss that."
L.T. told the paper that he doesn't know when the Chargers will release him and said his agent might call the club to expedite the process.
