Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher wants to keep playing. The problem is that he needs a team.
And his objective in looking for a new team is simple.
“I’m an old fart, so I want to go in there and win,” Urlacher told The Dan Patrick Show earlier in the hour.
But Urlacher is pragmatic. “Maybe nobody wants me,” Urlacher said. “But we’re gonna find out.”
He thinks that more teams hadn’t shown interest because no one really believed he’d leave Chicago. And Urlacher said that his agents have spoken to the Vikings, Cowboys, and Cardinals since Urlacher hit the open market.
Playing in a 4-3 defense isn’t a prerequisite. “I think I could learn a 3-4,” Urlacher said, before addressing the possibility of trying to replace Ray Lewis in Baltimore with a “no thanks.”
At this point, the only thing Urlacher or anyone else knows is that Urlacher won’t be a Bear. “I really don’t think they wanted me back,” Urlacher said, adding that he believes the team’s one-year, $2 million effort is now “gone.”
Though the money (or lack thereof) drove the decision, Urlacher believes that the move was rooted in the coaching change. Urlacher explained that, if Lovie Smith were still the head coach, Urlacher would still be a Bear.
At some point, the Bears presumably will welcome Urlacher back for a jersey retirement or some other ceremony to celebrate his career.
“What if i don’t go back?” Urlacher joked. “What if i don’t want to go back?”
Surely, he’ll want to go back at the appropriate time. The question for now is whether he’ll find an appropriate fit.