Free agent LB Brian Urlacher has announced his retirement via his twitter account.
“After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made a decision to retire. Although I could continue playing, I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that’s up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after a 13 year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear. I want to thank all of the people in my life that have helped me along the way. I will miss my teammates, my coaches, and the great Bears fans. I’m proud to say that I gave all of you everything I had every time I took the field. I will miss this great game, but I leave it with no regrets.”
Urlacher mentioned during a radio interview on Wednesday that there’s “no scenario” in which he’d un-retire.
“I’m tired of working out,” said Urlacher, per Jeff Dickerson. “I won’t be able to move like I want to.”
After the Bears made the decision to move on without Urlacher, the future Hall of Famer found almost no interest on the open market. The Vikings and Broncos were tossed out as speculative options, but both teams refuted the idea of them having any interest in the veteran linebacker.
Urlacher tallied 1,229 tackles, 41.5 sacks, 22 interceptions, 12 forced fumbles, and was selected to eight Pro Bowls over the course of his 13-year NFL career.
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An honor to watch this man play for my favorite team. One of the best players to ever take the field and a class act both on and off the field. He will be missed. Best of luck to Brian in his future endeavors.