Chargers approached Tomlinson about playing
The San Diego Chargers expressed interested in bringing back LaDainian Tomlinson as a player this season and inquired about the possibility, he told Yahoo! Sports in an interview.
Tomlinson last played for the Chargers in 2009 and retired from the NFL after two final seasons with the New York Yets.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in February in Indianapolis, Tomlinson was approached by Chargers executive vice president John Spanos, new general manager Tom Telesco and new coach Mike McCoy about returning as a player. Tomlinson was rather surprised by the conversation and didn't give the idea much thought.
"I met Tom Telesco and Mike McCoy at the combine and they asked me to come back and play," Tomlinson told Yahoo! Sports. "I saw 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. They said, "You can come back and carry it 10 or 12 times a game. We'd like to have you here.'
"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, 33, retired as a Charger last summer after signing a one-day contract. He rushed for 13,684 yards and scored 145 touchdowns in his career.
