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NFL: The best trade in each franchise’s history

By Hans Themistode

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 22: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is sacked by linebacker Chandler Jones #55 of the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 22: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks is sacked by linebacker Chandler Jones #55 of the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson (Photo by Tracy Frankel/Getty Images) /

Best trade in San Diego Chargers history: Acquiring LaDainian Tomlinson

At first glance, former quarterback Philip Rivers appeared to be the clear-cut choice for the best trade in the history of the San Diego Chargers. After all, he was initially traded in the 2004 Draft for Eli Manning along with numerous picks and stayed with the franchise for all but one of his years in the league.

When we take a close look at his numbers, Rivers name appears nearly everywhere in the Chargers record book. He currently ranks number one in the franchise in both passing yards with 59,271 and passing touchdowns with 397. But while he was no doubt their greatest quarterback, his placement in the football Hall of Fame is an ambiguous question. Regardless of the numbers, Rivers failed to win a Super Bowl ring despite his teams oftentimes stacked with talent.

As great as he was, the greatest trade in Chargers history happened in 2001. With the franchise in desperate need of some offensive help, they decided to fork over the number one overall pick and a chance to draft QB Michael Vick, to grab multiple picks, one which was used to select running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

The moment, he stuck his cleats into the grass and chugged the ball for the first time, Tomlinson made a great impression. During his rookie year, he ran for over 1,200 yards. He followed that up with back-to-back seasons over 1,600 rushing yards. In all, Tomlinson ran for well over 10,000 yards in a Chargers jersey and currently ranks seventh all-time in the league’s history. He was also a five-time Pro Bowler and more importantly, Tomlinson took home the 2006 MVP. No small feat considering only 16 backs have won the award.

The cherry on top of Tomlinson’s fabulous career was his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2017. For as great as Rivers has been, Tomlinson was even better.

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