Chicago Bears star Brian Urlacher calls it a career

Brian Urlacher is the latest NFL fixture to bid farewell to his football career.

The Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker announced his retirement Wednesday on Twitter, linking to a longer statement:

“After spending a lot of time this spring thinking about my NFL future, I have made a decision to retire,” Urlacher wrote in a statement. “Although I could continue playing, I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance or passion that’s up to my standards. When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after a 13-year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear. I want to thank all of the people in my life that have helped me along the way. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the great Bears fans. I’m proud to say that I gave all of you everything I had every time I took the field. I will miss this great game, but I leave it with no regrets.”

The Bears said two months ago that they had made the decision to go in another direction and part ways with Urlacher -- the longtime face of the franchise -- after the sides could not work out a new contract.

Urlacher, who will turn 35 this week, didn’t generate much interest on the open market.

That speaks to a larger issue in the NFL, with accomplished veterans losing a lot of their appeal as free agents. Because the salary cap has been relatively flat under the new collective bargaining agreement, and virtually every player contract goes up each year, franchises have to rely more heavily on younger, cheaper players who don’t consume so much of the cap allotment.

Teams simply can’t afford to have rocking-chair tours for once-dominant players, even ones who will eventually wind up in Canton.

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