Is it better to go out like Jim Brown or Edgerrin James?

Kurt Warner or Brett Favre?

Barry Sanders or Jerry Rice?

Most NFL players have to be dragged from the game kicking and screaming. And who can blame them? They are addicted to the money and fame.

The pride, confidence and ego that were ingredients in their greatness don’t fade away like their speed, athleticism and durability. Often, we are left with somewhat delusional players who can’t even be true to themselves, sad shells of superstars.

Other times, freaks such as Favre are able to tap into enough of their abilities that they defy age and logic. Or some, such as Fred Taylor and Kerry Collins, gracefully accept lesser roles.

But at some point almost every great player has to either cross the bridge to continue playing beyond his prime, or decide to walk away from it before his abilities and his legacy are significantly diminished.

LaDainian Tomlinson, who is at that bridge, will keep playing, signing a two-year deal with the Jets on Sunday.

Released by the Chargers, the future hall of famer soon will be 31. He has extremely high miles on his legs. His production has dropped off noticeably in each of the last two seasons.

Will Tomlinson become a role player? When Tomlinson and former teammate Rodney Harrison discussed the situation, Harrison gave him some sound advice.

“I told him I would not come back to play unless I played on a contender — a team with a realistic opportunity to win playoff games,” said Harrison, now a commentator on NBC’s “Football Night in America.” “If you have to play for some bum team, it won’t be worth it. I would retire and move forward in my life.

“And you have to realize you’re not going to be a 20- to 25-touch-a-game guy. What you can do provide leadership, help a team for 10-12 plays a game, be productive, get some screens out of the backfield and make a difference that way.”

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Harrison said he believes Tomlinson knows he no longer is a running back who can carry an offense — and Tomlinson is comfortable with it. But he also said Tomlinson has not lost his competitive drive, his pride or the chip on his shoulder. So saying he can become a role player might be easier than doing it.

“Players deceive themselves,” Harrison said. “It’s hard for a player to sit back and say ‘I’m 35, I’m no longer 28. I can’t run as fast. I might have great instincts, a great work ethic, but I no longer can get to that hash, or I no longer can cover that running back like I used to be able to.’ Guys always feel they can play the way they used to.”

Whether Tomlinson is deceiving himself isn’t clear cut. One pro scout said it’s difficult to evaluate Tomlinson because he played behind a poor offensive line in San Diego last season. He said there is no doubt Tomlinson’s skills have diminished, but they have not disappeared.

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An NFC personnel director said Tomlinson might not compare well to the Tomlinson of old, but he still compares well to any of the backs who were available this year. “He still has his quickness,” he said. “Their line was in shambles.”

The purist in many sports fans wants to remember LT like he was. The purist doesn’t want to have to see him become another Willie Mays.

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But Tomlinson could enhance his reputation — finding a way to excel at a new role in a different phase of his career.

Ultimately, the decision to keep playing or retire can only be made by the athlete. And only he knows what is in his heart.

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“I passed up a lot of money from teams, but I had to look at myself honestly,” said Harrison, who walked away from football after the 2008 season. “Do I do it just for the sake of doing it? If I can’t give everything, mentally, physically, it’s not fair for me to play. But a lot of guys don’t think like that. They want as much money as they possibly can get. I would rather have some pride and dignity about myself as opposed to hanging in there, looking terrible on the field and just taking someone’s money.”

For Harrison, retiring was the right choice. For Tomlinson, we’ll see if he made the right choie.