A legend was born Sept. 17, 2000, when Brian Urlacher recorded 13 tackles and a sack in his first NFL start.
Thirteen seasons and more than 1,700 tackles later, the face of the Chicago Bears is set to start a new chapter.
The team said Wednesday it had broken off contract talks with Urlacher, making the 34-year-old middle linebacker a free agent. Urlacher previously expressed a desire to play at least two more seasons and had hoped to finish with the Bears.
"We were unable to reach an agreement with Brian and both sides have decided to move forward," general manager Phil Emery said in a statement. "Brian has been an elite player in our league for over a decade. He showed great leadership and helped develop a winning culture over his time with the Bears. We appreciate all he has given our team, on and off the field. Brian will always be welcome as a member of the Bears."
Owner George McCaskey said earlier in the week he hoped Urlacher would return but made it clear he steered wide of personnel decisions.
"Over the last 13 years Brian Urlacher has been an outstanding player, teammate, leader and face of our franchise," McCaskey said in the statement. "As Bears fans, we have been lucky to have such a humble superstar represent our city. He embodies the same characteristics displayed by the Bears all-time greats who played before him and he will eventually join many of them in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We thank Brian for all he has given our team and our city. He will always be a part of the Bears family. We wish him the very best."
Now the eight-time Pro Bowl selection is left to ponder whether to continue his illustrious career elsewhere or walk away from the game with a bitter taste in his mouth. Urlacher missed the final four games of 2012 with a hamstring injury, watched his team miss the playoffs and saw coach Lovie Smith, whom he respected greatly, get fired after a 10-6 season.
Following the lead of Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis and retiring wouldn't be a surprise. Urlacher suffered a serious left knee injury at the end of the 2011 season, spraining the medial collateral ligament and partially spraining the posterior cruciate ligament. He underwent multiple procedures in order to play last season and admitted his knee would "never be the same.''
Whatever decision Urlacher makes, he seems destined to join other Bears greats such as Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He upheld the standard of elite middle linebacker play set forth by Hall of Famers Bill George, Butkus and Singletary. Urlacher's 1,779 tackles are a franchise record.
"Every era is different, and he's been a great player for a long time,'' Singletary said. "Do I think he's a Hall of Famer? No doubt about it. He's been a great leader, someone they could build the defense around. He's just been a tremendous player in this league."
The Bears selected Urlacher out of New Mexico with the ninth pick in 2000. As a former college safety with blazing speed, the 6-foot-4 Urlacher had the versatility to play anywhere, and the Bears immediately lined him up at strong-side linebacker. He surprisingly was demoted from the starting position at the end of his first training camp in favor of Rosevelt Colvin.
But when starting middle linebacker Barry Minter injured his back that season, Urlacher took over the position and never relinquished it. He was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording a franchise rookie record 165 tackles to go with eight sacks and seven tackles for a loss. He made the Pro Bowl when Lions linebacker Stephen Boyd pulled out.
In 2005, Urlacher earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year honor as he spearheaded a defense that allowed the fewest points and second-fewest yards in the NFL. He became just the second Bear to achieve the honor, joining two-time winner Singletary (1985, '88). The next season, he had a memorable 25-tackle performance in a 24-23 victory at Arizona.
Urlacher was rewarded handsomely for his strong play throughout the years. His humble beginnings in Lovington, N.M., prompted him to tell the Tribune once that "$100 was a lot of money'' to him. Before his rookie season, he signed a five-year, $7.75 million contract that included a $5.5 million signing bonus and carried a maximum value of $10 million.
In June 2003, he signed what at the time was the richest contract for a Bear: a nine-year, $57 million deal that included $19 million guaranteed.
In July 2008, Urlacher received a one-year extension worth $18 million in new money. He figured the final year's salary of $7.5 million would be reworked before he had a chance to collect it, but that's exactly what he earned last season.
Urlacher started 180 of the 182 games he played with the Bears. He missed almost all of the 2009 season after suffering a dislocated wrist in the season opener at Green Bay and missed seven games in 2004 because of various injuries. But Urlacher showed durability in starting all 16 games in nine of his 13 seasons. He played against the Saints in 2011 less than a week after the death of his mother, Lavoyda Lenard.
Urlacher's consistently high level of play has been admired by his peers.
"He's a hell of a player,'' Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said. "Brian's a Hall of Famer, in my opinion. He's got to be a shoo-in. Just his toughness, his tenacity and the level he's played at for so long — and to be able to play it all in one city is awesome.
"And Brian's been a class act in this league. You would hate to see a guy like that go because you enjoy playing against him and you enjoy watching him play. We all understand that one day it's going to be it for us, but he gets a hero's welcome wherever he goes in Chicago. And I'm sure it will stay that way.''
vxmcclure@tribune.com
Twitter @vxmcclure23
