Brian Urlacher Won’t Attend Minicamp, Chicago Bears LB Unhappy With Contract

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Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is expected to skip OTAs beginning Monday and might even sit-out a mandatory minicamp later this month if his contract is not renegotiated to his liking. He’s also considering boycotting training camp. In an interview with the Chicago Tribune yesterday, Brian said:

“Training camp is a long way away (July 23), and I expect there will be some dialogue between my agents and the Bears before then. I would hope it is resolved by then, but the [Bears] haven’t responded in a couple of months.”

Brian wants more than the one-year extension the Bears have offered him through 2012. The team has rewarded Alex Brown, Desmond Clark and Robbie Gould with extensions this off-season. But not, arguably, their best player and franchise face. I guess they feel their current offer ($5 million up-front and up to $1 million added to his contract per year if he participates in 85% of the team’s defensive snaps) is good enough. I don’t even know what “good enough” is anymore in the NFL, but I don’t think the Bears will budge. So, when the fines start piling up, Brian probably will.

Source: Chicago Tribune, Caricature: Newscom