Top 10 NFL players that retired too soon

10. Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher was essentially forced into retirement after the 2012 season. He was basically given the ultimatum: either you take a giant pay cut or you don’t get paid at all. Well, for Urlacher playing for close to a league minimum wasn’t enough to sacrifice his body any more for the Bears. After all, his 13 seasons in Chicago saw plenty of sacrifices made from the middle linebacker. But the Bears weren’t willing to repay the favor forcing Urlacher into early retirement.

An unfortunate end to what was an amazing career. Urlacher led the Bears to one Super Bowl and ended his career with the most tackles in Chicago Bears history. His sideline to sideline speed paired with a huge frame gave Urlacher the ability to dominate in the middle of a tough Bears defense. And for over a decade, he was the face of the organization.

Unfortunately, the common trend in the NFL is to send veterans to the back of the line when it comes to new contracts. The Bears were in a salary cap dilemma after signing both Brandon Marshal and Jay Cutler to giant deals. But despite all his success, Urlacher never got to finish his career with Chicago on his own terms. If only the Bears organization could have given him one more chance, Bears fans would never of had to wonder what could have been if Urlacher returned to Soldier field for one more season to lead the Bears defense.

Next: 9. Ricky Williams