Brian Urlacher In Contact With Minnesota Vikings
By Josh Hill
The Chicago Bears and Brian Urlacher have yet to reach an agreement that would see the future Hall of Famer return in 2013 wearing Chicago Bears colors. But the Chicago Tribune reports that the Minnesota Vikings have been in contact about Urlacher and the possibility that he returns for another season is looking good — only Urlacher may be wearing purple and gold.
"Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, a first-time free agent, has been flirting with the enemy, specifically the NFC North division rival Vikings. A Vikings source confirmed talks with Urlacher’s camp."
While Urlacher is in contact with the Vikings, he’s not in contract talks with them just yet and the Bears still firmly believe that if he returns in 2013 he’ll be doing so with Chicago. But the fact that Urlacher is meeting with the Vikings, and the Vikings have a need at middle linebacker, should be unsettling for Bears fans.
Couple that with the fact that the Vikings have been known to steal away taken form within the division, and you have a really good reason to believe the Vikings may make a run at Urlacher. Currently, money is whats keeping the two sides apart as Urlacher wants a salary in the range of $5.5 million and the Bears are not willing to pay him that.
The Bears don’t feel that Urlacher is talking to the Vikings out of spite, as general manager Phil Emery told the Tribune that the Bears are in constant contact with Urlacher, so he has no reason to feel slighted by the team.
“Well, the talks are ongoing so I don’t know why anybody would feel slighted,” Emery said. “We haven’t come to a conclusion.”
That kind of makes things worse in a way, as Urlacher is talking to the Vikings on his own power and willingness and isn’t doing so out of frustration. In other words, the only reason Urlacher is talking with the Viking is because he wants to and is clearly in control of his own future in the NFL.
Urlacher with the Vikings is an interesting idea, and many pegged Minnesota as a possible landing spot for Urlacher as early back as training camp, when questions about Urlacher’s future with the Bears were first raised. Still, no numbers have been discussed and the Bears are hoping that Urlacher’s interest in playing for the VIkings goes no further than just a thought.