Brian Urlacher departs Bears a casualty of NFL life after 30

Brian Urlacher is the latest symbol of life after 30 in the NFL.

If you are on the downside of your career, and no longer a star, start packing your bags when your contract runs out. The Bears announced Wednesday that they were parting ways with Urlacher, an icon of their franchise, and a fixture at linebacker for 13 years.

Urlacher was understandably stung, telling the Chicago Tribune that he felt disrespected during contract negotiations. In radio interviews, he said the Bears offered him a one-year, $2 million contract—take it or leave it.

"It wasn’t even an offer, it was an ultimatum," Urlacher told The Tribune. "I feel like I’m a decent football player still. It was insulting, somewhat of a slap in the face."

Urlacher tried to make nice later, saying, "There are no hard feelings between me and the Bears organization." But there were obviously hard feelings.

If veterans around the league have yet to wake up now, they never will. With so many teams feeling salary cap restraints, young players in their prime are having trouble getting new deals. As for older players on the downside of their career, forget about it.

by Clifton Brown Sporting News