Tomlinson to stay with Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson is staying with the San Diego Chargers as both sides reached an agreement on a restructured three-year contract that will keep the Pro Bowl running back with the team until 2011.
Tomlinson approved the deal Tuesday night. Chargers management, including president Dean Spanos, was vital in helping patch what had been a tense situation in January.
Tomlinson was limited to 5 carries in the playoffs against the Colts.
(Rick Benson/US Presswire)
The deal, which concludes nearly two weeks of contract talks, will also allow Tomlinson to make the $6.725 million he was scheduled to earn this season. That amount was originally in base salary, but has been restructured to be part signing bonus and part salary to help the team create room under the salary cap. Tomlinson's pay for this season had been a sticking point because his backup, Darren Sproles, is scheduled to make $6.6 million this season as a result of the one-year tender for being designated with the team's franchise tag.
As part of the deal, Tomlinson also reworked the final two years of the contract to help the Chargers. Tomlinson will reduce his base salaries of $8 million in 2010 and $9.275 million in 2011. Tomlinson will be able to earn the money back in incentives. In addition, some of his contract will be converted to a roster bonus payable in March 2010, forcing the Chargers to have to make an earlier decision on whether to keep him.
"I love San Diego and being a part of this team with my teammates," said Tomlinson. "My No. 1 priority was to stay here in San Diego. I truly believe this is the place that gives me the best chance to be successful and win a championship. I want to finish the job we started when I got here eight years ago. My heart has always been in San Diego. I couldn’t imagine putting on another uniform.
"I really appreciate the role Dean played throughout this process. He made it work for everyone, and I appreciate his friendship more than he knows."
The agreement also ends what had initially been terse discussions between the two sides at the end of the season. Tomlinson took offense to remarks made by San Diego general manager A.J. Smith, including an apparent mocking that occurred after the running back declared his desires to stay with the franchise.
However, agent Tom Condon and Chargers vice president of football operations Ed McGuire were able to work out a new deal. Tomlinson, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft, is coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,110 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Those were the lowest and second-lowest totals, respectively, for Tomlinson in his eight-year career.
Tomlinson dealt with a torn stomach muscle at the end of last season and had a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee at the end of the 2007 season.
