Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs has been one constant for the franchise over the course of the past 12 seasons. While the quarterback and head coaching situation has been somewhat fluid over the years, he’s lined up and started 167 games since the 2003 season.
Briggs, who is on the downswing of his career and not necessarily an above-average linebacker, seems prepared to be ready to move on from the Bears following the 2014 season (via Chicago Sun-Times).
It’s the last year of my deal. It’s not like I’m going to magically show up after this year and they’re going to open the gates up for you. I know the reality of it and I’m proud of all the years I’ve had here. It’s been great. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.
Briggs knows firsthand how cutthroat the business side of the NFL can be. When former teammate and future Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher seemed to be losing his edge on the field, Chicago pretty much cut ties with him.
With the Bears defense now moving more towards young players, there is no real reason to expect them to go out of their way to retain Briggs. And he seems to fully understand this.
The linebacker has played in just five games this season, tallying 22 tackles and one interception in the process.
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