David Banks
The Bears have been unable to re-sign linebacker Brian Urlacher and are moving on, according to reports.
The Chicago Bears are moving in another direction from long-time inside linebacker Brian Urlacher after being unable to re-sign him, according to Adam Schefter.
Urlacher was the Bears' first-round pick out of New Mexico in the 2000 NFL draft, taken at No. 9 overall. In his 13 seasons with the Bears, Urlacher became the face of the team's stout defense and has likely earned a shot at a spot in Canton, Ohio as a future Hall of Famer. Urlacher has made 1,229 tackles in his career in Chicago, as well as 41.5 sacks and 22 interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
Urlacher, an unrestricted free agent, expressed his desire to return to the Bears as he isn't quite ready to retire, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement. The middle linebacker is an eight-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, won the Brian Piccolo award in '07, the Ed Block Courage Award in '11, the AP Defensive Player of the Year in '05 and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2000. He was also named to the NFL's All-Decade team for the 2000s.
The Bears finished the 2012 season with the fifth-ranked defense under Urlacher's leadership.
There are several teams that could use help at middle linebacker, but Urlacher's age will likely keep him from landing a massive contract.
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