The Facts: Three players who are older than 30 received pink slips Monday from the New York Jets -- Kris Jenkins, Jason Taylor and Damien Woody. One player in that precarious age group who doesn't have to worry about his future is Tomlinson. The Jets will retain the future Hall of Fame running back for the 2011 season, the final year of his contract, according to league sources.
Diehards Line:There had been mild speculation about Tomlinson, who turns 32 in June, but the team intends to go forward with a three-headed backfield -- Tomlinson, Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight. According to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, the Jets remain confident Tomlinson still can be a productive back. Even though he failed to crack the 50-yard mark in any of his last six regular-season games, he still rushed for a team-high 914 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. He also caught 52 passes, an invaluable security blanket for QB Mark Sanchez. One potential sticking point could be his role. At 32, and with McKnight ready to be a contributor, Tomlinson's playing time will shrink. It's possible he could be used primarily as a third-down back. Whether he'd be happy in a limited role remains to be seen. Tomlinson is due to make $2.4 million in base pay in the coming season.
