LaDainian Tomlinson will play the 170th game of his NFL career on Sunday, and it may be the last.
Tomlinson said today that if the right circumstance arises he’d be up for playing a 12th season next year, at the age of 33, but he knows it’s possible that he’s finished.
“Yes, there is definitely a thought that this could be because you never know how things shake out,” Tomlinson said when asked if he has thought about Sunday’s Jets-Dolphins game being the last time he puts on a helmet. “For me, it just depends on the situation. I’ve said that before. I would love to keep playing, but if the situation is not right, then I won’t. This possibly could be my last game.”
Although Tomlinson said it would be a tough adjustment to be done with football, he said he looks back fondly on his years with the Chargers and Jets and wouldn’t walk away with regrets.
“Yes, it is weird, but this is how I see it: If it is my last game, I’ve enjoyed 11 years of playing football, playing a kid’s game [with] two great organizations,” Tomlinson said. “Obviously, being here the last couple of years, I’ve really enjoyed my time here. The fans have been great. My teammates have been great. The coaching staff. There is nothing I could complain about.”
Tomlinson is currently sixth in NFL history in rushing yards, and if he runs for 35 yards on Sunday he’ll pass Jerome Bettis for fifth place. He’s also third all time in touchdowns and second in rushing touchdowns. If this is his last game, we can pencil in the summer of 2017 as the year he’s enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.