Brian Urlacher spent 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears but was unable to capture a Super Bowl championship. He came close when Chicago won the NFC Championship Game in 2006, but Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts were too much to overcome. Now, the Bears will be looking to win a ring without him.
Last week, Urlacher told our friend Dave Dameshek on the “Dave Dameshek Football Program” that he will still pull for the Bears but that he will “be pissed” if they win a championship without him. Over the weekend, Chicago legend Mike Ditka said Urlacher needs to let it go.
“My advice would be to put it behind you,” Ditka wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times. “Brian has been such a great player for the Bears and an ambassador for the team. Not many guys get to play 13 years for the same team. Usually, when you change GMs and a new regime comes in, they’re going to make tough decisions. Mr. Emery decided that Brian wouldn’t be part of the plan. There’s nothing you can do about it. You know, the game of football was very good to Brian, but it owes him nothing now. You just have to move on.”
Urlacher is 35 years old and probably would have had one or two good seasons left in him, but he decided he doesn’t want to play for a team other than the Bears. Retiring without a ring after such a fantastic career can’t be easy, but the former Bear isn’t the only person who has done it. Dan Marino and plenty of others know how it feels.
Either root for the Bears or don’t. You can’t say you’re pulling for the team but hope they don’t win a Super Bowl. Like Ditka said, Urlacher just needs to let it go now and leave football in the past. Unless, of course, some team coaxes him out of retirement.
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