In an interview with Dave Dameshek of NFL.com, recently retired Brian Urlacher indicated he’ s happy in retirement, with the longtime Bears linebacker noting that “there’s nothing that could bring me back.”
The 35-year-old Urlacher probably could still play in the NFL if given an opportunity, so his unwillingness to consider a return right now is newsworthy.
But we’re burying the lede here. When Dameshek asked Urlacher about whether he still rooted for the Bears, Urlacher, who noted he still had teammates he considered friends, gave a memorable answer.
“I’m still rooting for them,” Urlacher said, via the audio clip linked to above. “I hope they do well. They better not win a championship without me because I’ll be really pissed.”
When Dameshek asked if Urlacher was OK with the Bears doing just “well,” Urlacher replied, “Then I’ll be happy for them. Like I said, I have a lot of good friends on the team, but I don’t want them to win a Super Bowl without me.”
Perhaps Urlacher, who was interviewed at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, was joking. Maybe there’s some context we’re missing that Urlacher will eventually add. When there’s audio like the clip NFL.com posted, fans can listen and decide themselves.
In any event, it’s noteworthy.