October 10, 2007
Briggs candidly discusses past, present and future
By Larry Mayer
LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Lance Briggs broke his silence Wednesday, speaking publicly for the first time in seven months about his contract situation, his decision to report to training camp on time and his vow in March to never play for the Bears again.
“The stuff that happened in the offseason was the offseason,” Briggs told reporters at Halas Hall. “It was business, and regardless of how much you love the sport and how much you enjoy being on the field and playing, when you step off of that field you have to remember that this is a business.”
Lance Briggs ranks second on the Bears behind Brian Urlacher with 45 tackles despite missing a game and a half with a hamstring injury.
Briggs declined a long-term extension prior to the 2006 season that would have made him the second-highest paid player on the Bears defense behind only Brian Urlacher.
The club then utilized the money it had earmarked for Briggs to sign Olin Kreutz, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Ricky Manning Jr. and Adrian Peterson to multi-year deals. As a result, the Bears indicated that it was unlikely they would reopen negotiations, though they still have never closed the door to the possibility.
“It was a decision that was made,” Briggs said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. Back then, I was hurt. But it’s in the past. Now I’m happy to be here.”
The Bears placed a franchise tag on Briggs in February, assuring him of earning $7.206 million for the 2007 season, the average of the NFL’s five highest paid linebackers.
But Briggs was upset that the franchise tag prevented him from reaching the open market and told ESPN.com in early March that he no longer wanted to play for the Bears.
“The Chicago Bears team? The coaches, players, city and fans? Yeah, I could stay there forever,” he said at the time. “But the Chicago Bears organization? I don’t want to be there anymore. I won’t play for them and I’ll do everything in my power to keep from playing there.”
On Wednesday, Briggs revealed that he didn’t regret anything he said in the offseason but also indicated that he would still be open to discussing a long-term contract with the Bears.
“I’d love to be here,” said Briggs, who joined the Bears in 2003 as a third-round pick. “Regardless of what I’ve said, I’ve always wanted to be here. Unfortunately, that was something that was decided over the offseason, that I wasn’t in the long-term plans.”
The one-year contract that Briggs signed in July stipulates that the Bears cannot place the franchise tag on him again next offseason if he plays at least 75 percent of the snaps this season.
Briggs did not participate in the Bears’ offseason program and threatened to sit out all of training camp and part of the regular season. But he ultimately reported to camp on time.
“At that point that was the decision that was best for me,” Briggs said. “I went back and forth with my agent [Drew Rosenhaus] on what I was going to end up doing. At that point, [I thought], ‘Hey, let’s get in and play football.’”
Briggs declined to explain exactly why he changed his mind.
Lance Briggs joined the Bears in 2003 as a third-round draft pick.
“That’s private,” he said. “That’s between me and my agent and what we discuss. But at the time it was the best decision to make.”
One of the most personable players on the Bears, Briggs always enjoyed a good relationship with the media before choosing not to talk this year.
“I really don’t have a whole lot to say,” he said. “I think I said enough in the offseason that will last me a lifetime. What I want to do is focus on football.”
Briggs also claimed that some of the quotes attributed to him were fabricated, though he opted not to specify which comments he was referring to.
“There were a lot of things that were written and said, some things that apparently I said that didn’t come out of my mouth in the offseason,” he said. “Like I said, enough things were said in the offseason for me to know that I need to keep my mouth shut.”
Briggs has spoken loudly through his play on the field this season. He registered a career-high 19 tackles in last Sunday night’s comeback win over the Packers—11 more tackles than any of his teammates—and appears to be on his way to a third straight Pro Bowl.
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Briggs candidly discusses past, present and future - Chicago Bears
Briggs candidly discusses past, present and future
Briggs candidly discusses past, present and future
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