LaDainian Tomlinson: Chargers would've won SB if they kept Schottenheimer

LaDainian Tomlinson retired in 2012 after an illustrious 11-year NFL career, in which he won the 2006 MVP, set the single-season touchdown record (31), and was named a first-team All-Pro four times.

However, there's one significant hole in Tomlison's resume: A Super Bowl title.

Tomlinson - who never managed to reach the championship game - recently told 1090 AM’s Darren Smith he believes things would have gone differently if the San Diego Chargers hadn't replaced head coach Marty Schottenheimer with Norv Turner in 2007.

"I would've won a Super Bowl if Marty hadn’t left after the '06 year," Tomlinson said, according to Tom Krasovic of The San Diego Union-Tribune. "I would say that. Because I think we were primed and ready. All we needed to do was just keep that team together at the time. And I think we were going to win it."

Schottenheimer was fired after the Chargers went an NFL-best 14-2 in the 2006 regular season, but lost to the New England Patriots in the playoffs' divisional round.

Turner inherited a stacked San Diego team. Not only was Tomlinson in his prime, but so were tight end Antonio Gates and linebacker Shawn Merriman. At the time, quarterback Philip Rivers had just completed his first season as the starter, but had already flashed the type of skill that would allow him to become one of the NFL's best signal-callers.

The Chargers made the AFC Championship game under Turner in 2007, but regressed each year after that. From 2010-2012, the Chargers failed to make the postseason, and Turner was eventually fired.

While it's impossible to say whether things would have gone differently if Schottenheimer remained, it's hard to argue the Chargers didn't underachieve with the talent they possessed.