According to ESPN.com, LaDainian Tomlinson was released by the Chargers on Monday afternoon, an unsurprising move considering both Tomlinson's salary and his plummeting numbers over the past few seasons.
Tomlinson, 30, peaked in 2006, when he registered 28 touchdowns and 1,815 yards. Since then, however, his numbers have been on the steady decline and he has been plagued by injuries. In 14 games in 2009, Tomlinson finished with just 730 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading many to assume that he would be released before he was due a $2 million bonus in March and $3 million in 2010.
Throughout the course of his nine seasons in the league, the TCU product has accumulated 12,490 yards, 138 rushing touchdowns and 15 receiving touchdowns.
"This is a part of the business that I hate, and it's particularly hard when you're dealing with someone I consider a friend," team president Dean Spanos told Chargers.com. "Change involving great players is never easy. I respect LT as much or more than any player I've ever known. And no one appreciates his contributions to this organization more than I do. That is why this is such a difficult announcement for me to make."
