Brian Urlacher retires and joins fellow #Bears LBer greats Singletary & Butkus in Chicago lore. #NFL

It is a sad day for me as a Chicago Bears fan.  I was a little young when Mike Singletary was in his prime patrolling the middle for the Chicago Bears so I wasn’t able to fully appreciate him at the time.  I have a fondness for the things and people that were my favorites when I was younger but those things are mostly just glamorized as “the good old days.”  Brian Urlacher was a much better athlete than Singletary.  He was bigger, faster, stronger, quicker.  He could cover TE’s and RBs coming out the backfield on pass plays.  He didn’t really have the ferocious hits or possess the crazy eyes that everyone remembers Singletary for but he was actually a better all around player.  Brian Urlacher outsacked Singletary 41.5 to 19 and out intercepted him 22 to 7.  Twice as many sacks.  Three times as many interceptions.  Speed kills and Urlacher had plenty of it to spare.  It was rough watching him the last few seasons after the injuries took its toll.  He was losing his speed.  He couldn’t stay healthy and on the field.  When he was on the field, he couldn’t keep up with the TEs and the RBs any more on the pass plays.  It was definitely time to retire and I’m glad he did so without going and signing with another team for a bad season or two.  Go out as a Chicago Bear and let everyone keep the fond memories of the greatness that made him as beloved as Mike Singletary and Dick Butkus in Bears lore.