Perhaps Bears' biggest deal yet: Urlacher
Team, Urlacher huddle to discuss new contract
By Vaughn McClure | Tribune reporter
10:56 PM CST, February 28, 2008
As free agency set off a whirlwind of NFL activity late Thursday, the Bears' biggest challenge now might be keeping the face of the franchise happy.
Ongoing contract discussions between the Bears and linebacker Brian Urlacher took up a portion of the team's time Thursday, the day before the start of free agency, the Tribune has learned.
The extent of the talks with Urlacher for a new deal beyond the current one that is to expire in 2011 is unknown.
The Bears might proceed with caution and be hesitant to give Urlacher significantly more guaranteed money up front. They naturally may have concerns about his back and neck injuries, especially considering his age. He turns 30 in May.
But Urlacher says his back condition was overblown and his recovery from minor neck surgery has gone smoothly. He injured one disc in his neck while sleeping on a plane during an off-season trip to the Bahamas.
Urlacher, who is training in Arizona, has been cleared to lift weights but is not allowed to run for another two weeks.
Publicly, the Bears have said they are not concerned with Urlacher's health and have expressed belief that he would be ready for training camp. The Bears will need him with the strong possibility linebacker Lance Briggs will head elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.
Urlacher has emphasized he wants to remain a Bear for life and doesn't need to be the team's highest-paid player. He has been outspoken about Briggs deserving a lucrative contract and lauded the Bears for giving Alex Brown a contract extension, which has a $5 million bonus.
Overall, in the last 10 days, the Bears have offered extensions to three players—Brown, Desmond Clark and Kyle Orton—totaling nearly $15 million in new money.
Urlacher wants the Bears to make a further financial commitment to him now and beyond 2011, when the nine-year contract he signed five years ago expires.
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Perhaps Bears' biggest deal yet: Urlacher
Perhaps Bears' biggest deal yet: Urlacher
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