LaDainian Tomlinson is ready to slow it down, but not shut it down.
The Jets running back said yesterday he’s excited about being a third-down back this season, and he wants to keep playing beyond this season.
“I will say that this is not the last year that I will play football,” the 32-year-old former MVP said. “I hope I continue to play here. This won’t be my last year playing.”
Tomlinson rushed for a team-leading 914 yards last year, though he thought he would be a complementary back when he signed with the team.
This year, the plan is for Shonn Greene to take over as the starter, and Tomlinson to give the Jets a change of pace and quarterback Mark Sanchez a target out of the backfield. You would think that a six-time All-Pro running back might not want to hear he is going to be used less, but Tomlinson said he’s ready.
“I always saw myself as I got later in my career this is what I wanted to do,” Tomlinson said. “Obviously in order to take a role like this you can’t have an ego. That’s not what it’s about for me. Last year I wanted to come here and have a role. I was hoping it would be my role last year, but it just didn’t shake out like that. I think that will be the way it is this year.”
Last year, Tomlinson started the season strong and began getting the bulk of the carries over Greene. He slowed toward the end of the season. Jets coach Rex Ryan hopes a reduced workload might keep Tomlinson fresh.
“He had almost 1,000 yards rushing last year, played great in the playoffs,” Ryan said. “So we know he’s definitely got a lot left in the tank. I just think his role now in being primarily a third-down back where he doesn’t have to take the grind of being a first- and second-down back . . . I think will be good for him.”
Tomlinson said it took him about a month to get over the Jets’ 24-19 loss to the Steelers in the AFC title game. Tomlinson has been close to a Super Bowl before in San Diego, and now he’s hoping to close that hole on his football resume, which includes nearly everything else.
He has such a great belief in this team he took a pay cut to help the Jets get under the salary cap.
“I just feel like I’ve done so much, I just want to feel what it feels like to get there and win a championship so I can tell my kids one day I’ve been through every situation, I’ve done every single thing that a guy can possibly do in his career and be happy about it,” he said. “I don’t want to be like I was MVP one year and led the league in rushing and touchdowns and all of this stuff, but I’m sorry I’ve never had a chance to even experience what it feels like to win a championship or get to a Super Bowl.”
Like most of the Jets under Ryan, Tomlinson said he believes this team has what it takes to get to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis. The key is to get some playoff games in East Rutherford.
“I think we’ve proven that we can go deep in the playoffs,” Tomlinson said. “I think for us that next step is taking over the division where we become division champions and get a home playoff game. We’re still at the point where New England is obviously the favorite and we always kind of split with them. … For us, we want to make the division ours.”
brian.costello@nypost.com