NFL Rumors Urlacher places own future in doubt
Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007 8:40 am EDT
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Brian Urlacher did more than increase traffic for his favorite Web site with his weekend admission that he indeed had an arthritic back. Even more than a buzz, Urlacher created doubt about the future of his Bears career that the team cannot ignore as it plans ahead.
Suddenly the contract extension that Urlacher and the team had begun exploring informally looks like a risky commitment to an aging middle linebacker with arthritis. The Bears still owe $22.4 million to Urlacher after this season, including a whopping $7.35 million salary in 2011 when he will be 33.
After his admission that "there is no clear-cut solution to give me relief" from the arthritis, can anybody be sure Urlacher will even finish the current contract, let alone rip it up to sign a richer one?
