San Diego Chargers future hall of fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson will remain with the team after restructuring the final 3-years of his contract; giving the team some much needed cap space.

“The way I’m looking at it, L.T. has helped us on the field and now he’s gone a step further and he’s helped us off the field,” Chargers General manager A.J. Smith said.

The Saints tried to lure him away from San Diego but in the end, Tomlinson couldn’t imagine playing for any other team.

“I love San Diego and being a part of this team with my teammates,” Tomlinson said. “My No. 1 priority was to stay here in San Diego. I truly believe this is the place that gives me the best chance to be successful and win a championship. I want to finish the job we started when I got here eight years ago. My heart has always been in San Diego. I couldn’t imagine putting on another uniform.”

The San Diego Chargers fanbase would have been devastated if Tomlinson left them. Now they can look forward to a 2009 unstoppable 1-2 punch with Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.