NEW YORK -- LaDainian Tomlinson is bolting for the Big Apple.

Tomlinson's agent, Tom Condon, said Sunday that the New York Jets signed the former Chargers running back to a two-year contract.

The Jets confirmed that they have agreed to a deal, adding the aging star to the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense last season.

A source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that Tomlinson's contract is for $5.1 million with an escalator that could boost it to $5.6 million.

"He wanted to go to 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."

The Jets reached the AFC Championship Game last season, eliminating Tomlinson and the Chargers along the way.

The 2006 NFL MVP, cut last month by San Diego, chose New York over Minnesota after visiting the Vikings on Thursday. Tomlinson spent Friday with the Jets, capping it with dinner with coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and other team officials.

The Jets went after Tomlinson hard even though he turns 31 in June, is coming off his least productive season and there are questions whether he has much left. New York apparently still saw plenty to like from Tomlinson, who ranks eighth on the NFL's career rushing list with 12,490 yards.

Once one of the NFL's most dynamic players, Tomlinson is expected to back up second-year running back Shonn Greene, who emerged in his rookie season and made Thomas Jones expendable. Jones signed with Kansas City last week after running for a career-high 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns.