After a year in which he was mostly hobbled by nagging injuries and inconsistent play, rumors have started to swirl that the Chargers could trade running back LaDainian Tomlinson this offseason and make Darren Sproles their feature back.
Tomlinson says he’s heard the rumors that the Chargers may trade him, allowing them to keep the cheaper Darren Sproles and get some younger players and draft picks to build a stronger future. Tomlinson still has 4 years left on his contract, and says management has not told him anything.
“As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t had any indications. I’m still under contract and until told otherwise, I’ll prepare to play football here,” he said.
The Chargers have a lot of questions to answer this off season – questions that right now they’re not ready to address publicly.
“Anything in terms of where we’re headed and out team, I think those questions would be answered at another time,” head coach Norv Turner said.
Imagine if the Chargers could have somehow hung on to Michael Turner. He could have paired up with Sproles to form one of the best 1-2 backfield punches in the NFL, if not the best.
The Chargers have to be careful because while L.T. is coming off a down year and is approaching the dreaded 30-year old mark, there’s no telling what a full offseason of rest could do for him. They wouldn’t want to assume that he’s done and trade him while his stock is low, only to have him rip it up for another team next season. But there’s no question that Tomlinson is now on the back end of his career and that the team has to start thinking about its future. GM A.J. Smith has already stated that Sproles isn’t an every down back so it’ll be interesting to see what the Bolts do this offseason in terms of their backfield.
