Tomlinson Let Go: Did the Chargers Make the Right Choice?
By: Waseem Barazi
San Diego poster boy LaDainian Tomlinson was let go by the Chargers yesterday. Did the Chargers franchise make the right decision. What would spur San Diego to give the NFL’s 2006 MVP the boot before the end of his contract? There is no doubt that Tomlinson’s productivity and speed are on the downswing. It would be ridiculous to assume a 30 year old man could perform as well as he did at 22 years old.
Despite this, I think it was a mistake for the Chargers to release Tomlinson. Although his ball carrying statistics may have taken a hit, his knowledge of the fundamentals remain. One does not win an NFL MVP award by talent alone. Talent is the natural ability to perform, but skill is necessary to succeed. Learning how to turn talent into a skill is what LaDainian Tomlinson could have provided the Chargers with. It would have been an ideal situation to have Tomlinson paired up with a talented young back who Tomlinson could mentor.
All other arguments aside, Tomlinson may still have some juice left in him. Other notable running backs who played into their 30’s were Walter Payton and Emmit Smith, two of the greatest running backs to have ever graced the NFL. I foresee this decision by the Chargers leading to a burning desire for Tomlinson to make the franchise regret their decision. Expect at least one great season from Tomlinson before he decides to call it quits
Leave a Reply