NFL

Tomlinson agrees on two-year deal with Jets

LaDainian Tomlinson and the Jets have reached an agreement on a two-year contract that will bring the likely Hall of Fame running back to New York.

One day after returning to his home in San Diego following a free agent recruiting visit with the Jets, the former Chargers great chose the Jets over the Vikings, who also were aggressively recruiting him.

The Jets and Tomlinson’s agent, Tom Condon, confirmed the deal Sunday night.

“He wanted to go a team that he thought had a chance to compete for the championship,” Condon told the AP. “He wanted to go somewhere where he had a chance to have a significant role, and so with the Jets he also was going to be very familiar with the offensive system.”

Tomlinson agreed to an incentive-laden two-year contract believed to be front loaded and worth somewhere around $5 million.

Tomlinson visited the Vikings brass in Minnesota last week before coming to New Jersey to visit the Jets, who met with him at their Florham Park facility, brought him on a tour of the new stadium and wined and dined him.

The Eagles and Saints were reportedly also interested in him, but Tomlinson opted not to visit either, instead choosing between the Jets and Vikings after consulting his wife, LaTorsha.

Tomlinson’s decision, first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, means the Jets will have added veteran insurance in their backfield that already includes Shonn Greene, who’s in his second NFL season, and Leon Washington, who’s recovering from a broken right leg.

Tomlinson, who turns 31 in June, has had declining production in the last couple of seasons. In 2006, he rushed for 1,474 yards, a 4.7-yard average and 15 TDs. In ’07, he had 1,110 yards, a 3.8-yard average and 11 TDs. And last season, he had his worst season as a pro with only 730 yards, a 3.3-yard average and 12 TDs.

He is, however, an accomplished receiver out of the backfield, having caught 530 career passes, meaning he’ll likely be used as a third-down weapon along with Washington.

The Jets still envision Greene as their lead back.

While Tomlinson’s career credentials and character are unquestioned, the Jets’ release of Thomas Jones at the beginning of free agency and signing of Tomlinson seems rather curious considering they seemingly did it because they didn’t want to pay him $5.8 million this season.

It’s possible the Jets simply felt Jones, in a more limited role, would not be as effective a back as he’s been as a featured back.

It’s believed that once the Jets released Jones and the Chargers released Tomlinson that Tomlinson was the one back the Jets targeted.

“For (this) to ever turn into a signing, it’s going have to be if everything lines up with him, us, economics, medical, role,” Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Friday morning in a radio interview. “I think he would bring great leadership to our organization.”

After the release of Jones, Tannenbaum said, “We have Shonn and Leon and we will add somebody else to the mix. That’s a position that we feel we need depth.”