The Brian Urlacher situation just got juicer.
One league source says Urlacher’s agents have asked the team if they could explore a trade. Another says Urlacher is threatening to retire because of neck and back problems, a move in which he wouldn’t have to repay any portion of the $13 million signing bonus he received in 2003, when he received a nine-year, $56.65 million deal.
Urlacher feels he has outplayed his contract and is demanding more money. He’s boycotting the team’s voluntary offseason workout program and threatening to hold out of minicamp, organized team activities and even training camp if he doesn’t get a new deal.
One NFL insider laughed off the situation as the equivalent of a child taking his ball and going home or threatening to hold his breath until he passes out.
”Urlacher has no leverage,” the source said. ”He wants to be paid, right? If he takes a medical [retirement], then he’s got to prove he’s hurt. If he does that, he’ll never get paid. They’re not going to trade him. All he can do is be disruptive.
”It’s a joke. Players never walk away from millions. They threaten to, but they never do it.”
Does anyone else find it kind of ironic that Urlacher is demanding a new contract but is also using neck and back injuries to threaten to retire if he doesn’t get said new contract? Isn’t that counterproductive? “Oh, you have neck and back problems Brian? Well let’s just get that new multi-million dollar deal written up then!”
By the way, this is great timing for Chicago seeing as how this year’s draft is completely (pardon the pun) bare of middle linebackers.
Update: Grrlacher is reporting that the retirement rumors are just gossip.
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