Brian Urlacher did not exit the NFL the exact way he wanted to. The Chicago Bears released the long-time linebacker in the offseason after a string of injuries hampered his production on the field. He sat on the open market for months before ultimately realize that no team was going to call with the offer he felt he deserved. So who is Urlacher blaming for his exit?
While conducting an interview for Fox Sports with Russell Wilson, the former Bears linebacker blames the Seattle quarterback for ending his career prematurely. That seems fair, right?
"Russell, I'm not sure if you know this or not, but you ended my career basically last year on that third down in overtime," Urlacher said, via FoxSports.com. "You were rolling out, I was trying to chase you. Trying to chase you down I popped my hamstring and missed the last four games of the season. You ended it."
The exact play Urlacher is referring to was during the Bears Week 12 game against Seattle. It was third-and-2 on Seattle's opening drive of overtime. Wilson scrambled five years before Urlacher chased him down for the tackle. Seven plays later, Wilson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice to win the game. That tackle was the last play of Urlacher's career. He popped his hamstring and it was over.
Urlacher remained very bitter over the fact that the Bears opted to not give him a multi-year deal given the 13 years he dedicated to the team. Urlacher's total tackle number dropped from 84 to 53 and the team was no longer willing to commit anything more than one season to him.
In his retirement announcement, Urlacher admitted that he could still play in the NFL but may no longer be considered elite. He decided to end his career having only worn one jersey.
"After spending a lot time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made the decision to retire," Urlacher said in a released statement. "Although I could continue playing, I'm not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that's up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after 13-year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear."
The Bears will certainly miss Urlacher and his leadership on defense. Wilson, however, will not miss Urlacher.
