The San Diego Chargers released running back LaDainian Tomlinson Monday afternoon.

Tomlinson played nine seasons in San Diego, but at the age of 30 and with declining numbers, Tomlinson has been anticipating his release for the past month.

"It was a longtime coming, but I knew it was coming," Tomlinson said, according to SI.com. "Now that it's official I can kind of look to the next step in my career and playing football for someone else."

Tomlinson ranks eighth on the all-time rushing list with 12,490 yards. His 138 career rushing touchdowns rank second, and his 153 total touchdowns rank third.

He was the NFL's MVP in 2006, when he set NFL single-season records with 31 touchdowns and 186 points. Tomlinson won the NFL's rushing title in 2006 and '07.

"This is a part of the business that I hate, and it's particularly hard when you're dealing with someone I consider a friend," Chargers president Dean Spanos said in a statement. "Change involving great players is never easy. I respect L.T. as much or more than any player I've ever known. And no one appreciates his contributions to this organization more than I do. That is why this is such a difficult announcement for me to make."

General manager A.J. Smith called it "a tough day, a sad day for everybody in the organization. But it's always tough to part ways with great players who helped you win games. It's not a pleasant day, but we're working through it."

"He was one of the greatest players and people that I've ever had a chance to be around and he will be missed," outside linebacker Shawne Merriman said in an e-mail to the AP.

Tomlinson, who turned 30 last summer, was injured early in the 2009 season and finished with 730 yards on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows.

Perhaps his most memorable moment as a Charger came on Dec. 10, 2006, when he swept into the end zone late in a game against the Denver Broncos for his third touchdown of the afternoon to break Shaun Alexander's year-old record of 28 touchdowns.

His linemen hoisted him onto their shoulders and carried him toward the sideline, with Tomlinson holding the ball high in his right hand and waving his left index finger, while the fans chanted "L.T.! L.T.!" and "MVP! MVP!"

"He's just been a great player for us," Smith said. "Also, the character, integrity, work ethic, along with his talent, have been unbelievable. He's a Hall of Famer right now. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer."

The Tomlinson years were some of the best in Chargers history. Tomlinson established himself as a star during a rookie season in 2001 when he rushed for 1,236 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. His ability to run, make big plays and score touchdowns helped allow quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers to develop into Pro Bowl stars.

The Chargers reworked Tomlinson's contract last offseason to give him one more chance to re-establish himself as a top running back. He was scheduled to get a $2 million bonus in March and a $3 million base salary under the restructured contract. The Chargers will pay Tomlinson a $1 million bonus, guaranteed if the team released him.

"The main thing for me now is to try to win a championship," Tomlinson said to SI. com when asked about the future. "That's my No. 1 goal. That's why I still work hard and train like I do, because I still believe there's a chance of winning that championship. So the next team I go to has to have a chance of winning a title. I can think of a few teams off the top of my head, but that's what my agent is for. I'm sure he's going to do some research, talk to some teams and present some options to me."

Agent Tom Condon said he'll spend time at the forthcoming NFL combine in Indianapolis determining interest from other teams.

"I think they did us a favor in terms of releasing him before we go to the combine. That part of it was positive," Condon told the AP. "L.T. during Super Bowl week had indicated it was time to move on, and they accommodated him. He's had a Hall of Fame run there as a Charger."

Condon doesn't think Tomlinson is finished.

"It's one of those things with the very, very special players, like Emmitt Smith, Marcus Allen, guys like that," Condon said. "You can't predict what they're going to do. They seem to defy the odds. He keeps himself in tremendous condition. I think he feels like he can go forward for several more years."