Chris Thompson   Chris Thompson on the internet

Ladainian Tomlinson, the future Hall of Fame NFL running back, was cut by the San Diego Chargers earlier this week. Everyone knew it was coming. It was inevitable. But why?

Even LT himself, when he spoke to the media, didn’t seem to have been informed why he had been released.

It was heartbreaking to see him break down up on that podium, and if you couldn’t hear it in his voice, you could see it in his eyes: he loved San Diego – still does, in fact – and he wanted, more than anything, to win a Super Bowl with his team; the team that picked him, the team that he helped transform into a perennial playoff contender.

It’s the horrible, haunting bump in the road for running backs: the 30-year mark. Some manage to overcome it; the few, rare players; and some haven’t taken too much of a beating in the early part of their careers, and can plough onwards. But Tomlinson’s stats had declined, and he was due to make a lot of money.

Tomlinson has been one of the finest running backs in the history of the NFL: he is the fastest player ever to reach 150 career touchdowns, and he has compiled them with brilliant and often dazzling runs. But he also catches the ball a lot. He’s has a better career as a receiver than some wide receivers themselves, racking up nearly 4,000 yards. That’s a lot of punishment, on top of carrying the load on the ground.

The curious thing is, he still has plenty left in the tank. Certainly, whenever I’ve seen him play this year, he’s seemed quick, more explosive than much of last season. But he has been slowed down by injury on occasions.

He’ll find a team, at some point or another. And he’ll contribute, and help them on their quest for the trophy. It will be interesting to see if this decision comes back to haunt San Diego.