Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson was nearly a member of the New England Patriots dynasty. During the 2001 NFL Draft, New England told Tomlinson they were intent upon drafting him with the sixth overall pick.

Tomlinson went at No. 5 to the San Diego Chargers. The Patriots drafted defensive lineman Richard Seymour. And New England won three Super Bowls over the next four years.

As Tomlinson, now an analyst for NFL Network, reflected on New England’s profound success during a meeting with reporters at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, he wondered what could have been.

“It makes me wish — I remember when I was coming out of college, I met with the Patriots,” Tomlinson said Wednesday. “I talked to Bill (Belichick) and Charlie Weis, who was an offensive coordinator. Charlie was like, ‘We’re drafting you if you’re there.’ Of course, the Chargers took me the pick before.”

Tomlinson added: “You think how things could have turned if I had gone to the Patriots.”

He’d probably have a bunch of Super Bowl rings.

“Right,” he said with a laugh.

Not only did Tomlinson end up playing against the Patriots, but he also ended up disliking them a great deal — at least at one particular moment after the divisional playoff game in the 2006 season when Tomlinson felt disrespected by the Patriots’ postgame celebration. But within months of publicly ripping New England, Tomlinson made up with Belichick.

“I was over it at that point that same year,” Tomlinson said. “Because Bill — obviously we had a talk — and I was like, ‘Bill, I apologize for my words.’ He said, ‘No problem. We all say things that we might regret, but there’s not hard feelings. I respect you.’ And it was over.”

So it goes in the NFL, with one seemingly small decision impacting the league and its history in a very significant way.