Inflated Ego, Deflated Contract; Tomlinson Restructures

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was faced with a decision, take a pay cut or get cut by the only professional team he has played for. In the end he restructured the final three years of his contract and saved the San Diego Chargers $2.25 million in salary-cap room.

Tomlinson was scheduled to make $24 million over the final three years of his contract. Under the new deal, the Chargers gave him a $2.875 million signing bonus and lowered his base salary to $3.825 million, a source said. In so doing, Tomlinson was able to keep the 2009 payout of his contract at $6.725 million.

That last number there is the important figure for Tomlinson and his ego, at $6.725 million he will still be on the books for more money than his back-up Darren Sproles who is scheduled to make $6.6 million this season under the terms of the franchise tag he was given before free agency.

If Tomlinson's back-up were to make more money than him, it would be viewed as an insult and would have likely caused even more trouble for the former star running back who has struggled to stay healthy the last few years and is not nearly as productive as his inflated contract and ego would warrant.