National Football League

Who's more deluded, L.T. or the Jets?

Published Mar. 16, 2010 4:32 p.m. ET

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Just three months ago, LaDainian Tomlinson -- a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- was booed by the Qualcomm faithful in his last game for the San Diego Chargers.

It came with 13:20 remaining in a second-round playoff game against the improbably successful Jets. Once again, Norv Turner ran Tomlinson off-tackle, as if he were Jim Brown. The Jets, like many a playoff team before them, stopped Tomlinson on or about the line of scrimmage. That's when the crowd announced its displeasure.

Even Coach Norv got it, finally. That would be Tomlinson's final carry of the day, his less-than-grand finale in a San Diego uniform. The Jets would go on to play for the AFC Championship, a victory that eluded the Chargers throughout Tomlinson's tenure.

For much of that time, San Diego seemed to lead the league in expectations, most of them based on Tomlinson's brilliance. It's worth reminding you what he did in his MVP season, 2006, rushing for 1,815 yards with a league-record 31 touchdowns. That season would end with Tomlinson whining about the Patriots having the temerity to celebrate a playoff victory on Qualcomm's hallowed ground.

I don't remember if the Jets similarly desecrated the field. Nor do I recall what Tomlinson had to say that afternoon. Having accumulated 24 yards on 12 carries, the most celebrated player in Charger history wasn't the story. Rather, that honor belonged to Jets rookie Shonn Greene, who ran for 128 yards, 53 of them on a single carry that seemed to break the game open.

And now that these very same Jets have signed Tomlinson to a deal reportedly worth $5.2 million over two years, I am reminded of that day and obliged to ask: What are these guys thinking?

I know what's in it for Tomlinson. Great running backs are like great fighters, or even mediocre fighters. The best of them can take a hit, but they never know when it's time to go. Tomlinson's the same way. The kind of game he played -- instinctive, cut-back running -- doesn't improve with age.

The guy who made history in 2006 has shown consistent, inexorable decline with each passing season. He hasn't had a 100-yard game since 2008. Last year saw him rush for 730 yards on 230 carries. His average of 3.3 yards per carry ranked him 28th in the NFL. The man he aims to replace, Thomas Jones, averaged 4.2. And you wonder why the Jets are into their fifth decade without a Super Bowl?

Of course, to hear L.T. tell it, that's the endgame. As a matter of fact, that's the only game. As he told SI.com right after the Chargers cut him: "The main thing for me now is to try to win a championship. That's my No. 1 goal. That's why I still work hard and train like I do, because I still believe there's a chance of winning that championship. So the next team I go to has to have a chance of winning a title."

So tell me, if this is really about winning, who has a better chance, the Jets or the Minnesota Vikings?

The Vikings, who played the Saints a lot closer in the NFC championship than the Colts did in the Super Bowl, began courting Tomlinson first. According to one report, Brett Favre was a big part of the recruiting effort, speaking to Tomlinson by phone.

But apparently there was a problem in Minnesota, and it had as much to do with winning as it did with the weather. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson, widely regarded as the best back in football. And for all of L.T.'s protestations, you get the feeling that he still doesn't think of himself as a backup.

Enter, the Jets. Now you might recall that New York had the best ground game in football last season. And you might want to know why a team would mess around with that. I don't have a good answer. Then again, neither do the Jets.

Entering his second year, Shonn Greene is talented, but still unproven as an every down back. Leon Washington is trying to return after suffering a gruesomely broken leg. And Thomas Jones, who only gained 1,402 yards, was cut.

Jones was due to make $5.8 million this season with the Jets. But when the Chiefs signed him for $3 million, the Jets refused so much as a chance to match the offer. In fact, Jones' deal with Kansas City and Tomlinson's deal with the Jets are separated by just a few hundred thousand dollars.

Again, what were the Jets thinking? They're a big market team in an uncapped year. The question isn't whether they could afford to sign Jones, but could they afford not to?

This is a guy who rushed for almost twice as many yards as Tomlinson last year. OK, Jones is 10 months older. But he also has 600 fewer carries. Jones was a leader in the locker room. Tomlinson led his team in endorsements.

Now there's talk that Tomlinson, who will be reunited with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, will be the Jets' third-down back. Sounds great, except he wasn't even the Chargers' best third-down back.

Maybe I'm being too negative. Maybe L.T. will fit right in. After all, the Jets, like the Chargers, are usually among the league leaders in unfulfilled expectations.

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