The Minnesota Vikings reportedly have no interest in signing Brian Urlacher. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Vikings are not currently looking to sign former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, reports NFL.com.

Earlier Tuesday, according to Michael Sneed of the Chicago Sun-Times, it seemed liked Urlacher was leaning toward signing with the Vikings.

Instead of bring Urlacher to Minnesota, the plan is for the Vikings to look to players already on the roster to fill their void at middle linebacker.

The Sun-Times reported in March that the Vikings were “monitoring” Urlacher but general manager Rick Spielman said last month he doesn’t “anticipate” signing the eight-time Pro Bowler who turns 35 this month.

Sneed reports that Urlacher, who nixed the Bears’ $1.6 million contract offer in March, has also been talking to the Broncos.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports the Broncos have no interest in Urlacher.

Sorry Brian: #Broncos are not interested in MLB Brian Urlacher. As in period.—
Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) May 14, 2013

Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said he thinks the Bears never really wanted him back. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Free-agent linebacker Brian Urlacher said Thursday that he thinks the Chicago Bears have been insincere about their desire to want him back next season, a day after the team announced it would part ways with its longtime middle linebacker.

Urlacher told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” that he wanted to finish his career as a Bear, a feeling he said wasn’t reciprocated from the organization.

“The Bears kept saying, ‘We want to make Brian a Bear, retire a Bear. Blah, blah, blah.’ It was all lip service in my mind,” Urlacher said. “They said that, but they never acted on it. It was like they all had a handbook on how to handle the situation they passed out around there.”

According to ESPN, the Bears offered a one-year, $2 million contract, which Urlacher countered with a one-year, $3.5 million offer. But Urlacher said the Bears came back and said their original proposal was a “take it or leave it” proposition.

“It was kind of an ultimatum. Either sign this or leave. That’s the way it was. They never moved off their initial offer,” Urlacher said.

“Honestly, I had a feeling during the whole offseason that something like this would happen,” he added. “I told my agent — I said I just don’t think they want me back.”

The 34-year-old Urlacher said he has not thought about retiring, but it’s not clear which teams are interested at this point. Urlacher tore his left PCL in the 2011 season finale, something from which he said his knee would likely never fully recover from the injury. He also missed the final four games of last season after suffering a hamstring injury in early December.

In 12 games last season, Urlacher had 68 tackles, the lowest full-season total of his career. He added two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception.

Before the Chicago Bears decided to part ways with longtime linebacker Brian Urlacher, they made him a meager one-year, $2-million offer and told him to take it or leave it, Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune‘s Vaughn McClure.

Urlacher said that while he wanted to remain in Chicago, where he has spent the last 13 seasons, the contract process with the Bears was “an ultimatum, not a negotiation.”

The $2 million Chicago offered was the max he could have made on the deal and was not guaranteed, McClure reports. The eight-time Pro Bowler made $7.5 million in base salary last season, posting 68 tackles and one interception.

Just got off the phone with Brian Urlacher.Said Bears gave him a take it or leave it offer of one-year, $2 million.—
vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 20, 2013

“It was a ultimatum, not a negotiation,'' Urlacher said. “I wanted to be in Chicago. I wanted to finish here.''—
vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 20, 2013

Urlacher, “I wanted to be here. I wanted to be in Chicago. … Now, that's not possible.''—
vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 20, 2013

Urlacher, 34, added that he has no plans to retire and will consider signing with one of the teams he has spoken to. He struggled with knee and hamstring injuries last season, limiting him to 12 games.

Urlacher told me has has no immediately plans to retire and will explore the possibility of joining one of the teams he's spoken with.—
vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 20, 2013

Despite a 7-1 start, the Bears missed the playoffs at 10-6 and fired coach Lovie Smith, hiring the more offensive-minded Marc Trestman. The team’s defense allowed just 17.5 points and 315.6 yards per game — third and fifth in the NFL, respectively.

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher hopes to be back with the team next season. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher will become a free agent after the Super Bowl ends and he made it clear that he would like to stay with the team next season, even if it means giving the team a hometown discount.

The team has not commented on Urlacher, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, and Urlacher said he would be fine if he is in another uniform next season. He made $7.5 million in base salary last season.

“When you look at my age and everything, it’s going to be hard not to give them a discount. I’m not going to make what I was making in the past, how about that? Does that make sense? That’s fair. Chicago is my home,” Urlacher said on WMVP-AM 1000, a Chicago radio station. “Whether I play for the Bears or not, that’s my home. So I want to be there and hopefully we can work something out, but if not I’ll go somewhere else. Either way I’ll be good,” he said. “I’d like to play there but if not, I can move on. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Urlacher’s season was cut short because of knee and hamstring injuries, but ended up with 68 tackles in 12 games.

Brian Urlacher defended head coach Lovie Smith after the Bears’ loss on Sunday. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher left the team’s home loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday peeved at Chicago’s fans, and he spent Monday defending head coach Lovie Smith from critics.

“Our crowd was pretty good today for the most part,” Urlacher said during his weekly segment on Fox Chicago, according to ESPN.com. “They were loud for a minute there. The boos were really loud, which is always nice. The only team in our division to get booed at home is us. It’s unbelievable to me.”

The Packers clinched the NFC North with a 21-13 victory over the Bears at Soldier Field, as Urlacher did not play because of a hamstring injury. The loss continued to leave the Bears’ playoff prospects a little more muddled. The Bears sit in a four-way tie for the final playoff spot in the NFC, but they are technically behind the Minnesota Vikings in the playoff picture at 8-6.

The Bears face the possibility of missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons. They have lost three in a row and five of their last six games. But Urlacher said he didn’t care if fans or the media were calling for a coaching change.

“Two of the people I don’t care about, fans or the media,” Urlacher said. “They can say what they want to about our head coach, about our players. It does bother me because those people don’t know what they’re talking about, obviously.

“I know there are a bunch of experts in the media, and there are a bunch of smart guys out there who know exactly what they’re talking about all the time. But they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Bears safety Chris Conte also tweeted a plea for support following the Bears’ loss to the Packers on Sunday:

We have two must win games left. We need all the support we can get. if u aren’t with us then you are against us. Real bear fans #beardown

— Chris Conte (@ChrisConte47) December 16, 2012

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs says Packers tight end Jermichael Finley should be quiet and called him an idiot. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Leading up to Sunday’s game between long-time rivals the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Packers tight end Jermichael Finley said that the Bears could be better off without linebacker Brian Urlacher, implying that the 34-year old Urlacher has lost a step.

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs response to that statement was short and simple.

“He’s an idiot,” Briggs said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “Just suit up and play ball. His comments aren’t going to change the outcome of the game, they’re not going to help him or anybody else play better. Doesn’t really matter.”

Finley tried to back off his statement on Twitter saying that Urlacher is a Hall of Fame player and person.  Urlacher is not expected to play against the Packers because of a hamstring injury.  The Packers defeated the Bears 23-10 in September and hold a one-game lead over the Bears in the NFC North.

Urlacher is a hall of fame player and person. I meant no disrespect to him in previous comments, I was simply trying to explain that—
Jermichael Finley (@JermichaelF88) December 13, 2012

Brian Urlacher has reportedly been fined for the second time in as many weeks. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has been fined for the second time in as many weeks.

According to tweets Thursday morning from Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune, Urlacher said the fine is for $21,000 and that he will appeal it.

The report was also posted to NFL.com by Marc Sessler, though it hasn’t yet been confirmed by the NFL. The fine is likely for his horse collar of Seattle Seahawks running back Leon Washington in the Bears’ 23-17 loss on Sunday. Urlacher was flagged on the play but the NFL has yet to confirm a punishment.

Urlacher, 34, is also appealing a $15,750 fine issued to him last week for a horse collar of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Neither Peterson nor Washington sustained injuries on the takedown from Urlacher. Per NFL policy, the second offense for a horse collar is $31,500 but the league has the option to increase or decrease the amount of money paid by the player for that second offense.

Urlacher suffered a strained right hamstring in the loss to Seattle on Sunday and is expected to miss two to four weeks.

https://twitter.com/vxmcclure23/status/276717095188840448
https://twitter.com/vxmcclure23/status/276716860416876544

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher insists he will play in the team’s season opener after having multiple procedures on his left knee. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher says his surgically repaired left knee will never be the same but that’s not going to keep him out of the lineup for the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

Urlacher, who is entering his 13th NFL season, said he will start and expects to play.

“I’m playing Sunday,” Urlacher said to ESPN.com. “That’s a done deal.”

Urlacher sprained the medial collateral and posterior cruticate ligaments in his left knee in the season finale and then underwent an arthroscopic clean-up procedure three weeks ago. Urlacher has barely practiced during training camp after missing the team’s offseason programs. It has been reported that Urlacher traveled overseas to seek teatment that didn’t involve surgery.

“(The left knee) feels much better now,” Urlacher said. “I have been running around quite a bit, not with the team in practice, I have been taking it really slow like Coach Smith said we would. Everything they are going to let me do, I’ll do.”

Brian Urlacher visited Europe for an alternative knee therapy. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher traveled to Europe in the offseason to try an alternative knee therapy, reports the Chicago Tribune‘s Mike Mulligan.

Urlacher may have visited German Dr. Peter Wehling for a method known as Regenokine therapy, Mulligan reports. It is the therapy reportedly used by Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez, among others. The therapy is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Urlacher had his knee scoped earlier this month, but he and the team hope that he will still be ready for the regular season opener. He also reportedly had a previous knee surgery in January.

The 34-year-old linebacker sprained the MCL and PCL in his left knee during the final game of last season.

File this one under: We missed it when it was happening.

Actress/Playboy model Jenny McCarthy released a statement to People magazine announcing that she is no longer dating Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

“Brian and I have decided to turn our romance into an amazing friendship,” McCarthy said. “I will continue to be the biggest cheerleader for him. Go, Bears!”

McCarthy is an Illinois native, so it should be no surprise that she ended up (however briefly) with a Chicago athlete. The pair had dated for about four months.

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher reportedly had surgery on his left knee Tuesday. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Sport)

Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday, reports the Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs.

Urlacher sprained the MCL and PCL in that knee in Chicago’s final regular season game last January. He played during the first week of Chicago’s training camp but was then shut down because the knee swelled up, Biggs reports. He last practiced on July 31.

The veteran linebacker was away from the team for a week, but he said Sunday that he was gone for personal reasons, not anything related to his knee.

Throughout training camp, the 34-year-old Urlacher has said he would be ready for Chicago’s first game, Sept. 9 against the Colts. It’s uncertain whether that will still be the case.

Urlacher, who made his eighth Pro Bowl last season, has started the Bears’ last 32 regular season games. He had 86 tackles and intercepted three passes last year.

Fully recovered from a knee injury, Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher says he wants to play for two to three more years. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher knows his window for winning a championship is slowly closing up, But he says he is fully healthy from a left knee injury sustained in January and could continue to play a while longer.

Urlacher, 34, who enters his 13th season making $7.5 million in base salary, says he can play 2-3 more years and plans to enter free agency after this upcoming season.

“My back feels great, my neck feels good, my muscles aren’t pulling anymore so that’s good,” Urlacher said, according to ESPNChicago.com. “Everything feels pretty good right now. I always say (I want to keep playing) two to three more years. It all depends on how I play on the field, because if I don’t play good enough nobody is going to want me.”

Urlacher had 102 tackles and three interceptions last season.

Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster today, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

LM: #Bears DE Julius Peppers has been added to NFC Pro Bowl roster, replacing the Giants' Jason Pierre-Paul.

—
ChicagoBears.com (@ChicagoBearscom) January 23, 2012

Voted in as a first alternate, Peppers will replace the Super Bowl bound Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

Peppers totaled 11 sacks in 2011, five tackles-for-loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.  The 32-year-old is currently tied for third most sacks (100) in the NFL since he was drafted in 2002 by the Carolina Panthers.

While the Bears’ Pro Bowl selected linebackers Brian Urlacher (knee) and Lance Briggs (ankle) will be sidelined due to injuries, running back Matt Forte, cornerback Charles Tillman and special teams standout Corey Graham are expected to play in Hawaii.

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was probably frustrated after his team’s overtime loss to Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, and deservedly so.  Urlacher’s defense had stifled the Broncos for 57 minutes of football; even when Tebow drove the Broncos down for a late score, Urlacher might’ve assumed that his offense could run out the clock.  Instead, Chicago’s offensive miscues and a strong-legged Denver kicker were enough to give the Broncos the win … and Chicago’s strong defensive effort was rendered meaningless.

So it’s perhaps unsurprising that, in the face of the overwhelming praise for Tebow, Urlacher had some unkind words for the second-year quarterback’s game, according to Brad Biggs of the National Football Post:

Brian Urlacher asked what he thinks about Tim Tebow: "He's a good running back, man. He runs the ball well."

—
Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) December 12, 2011

And Tebow’s response (also via Biggs) should be equally unsurprising, coming from a player known as much for his religious faith and aw-shucks humility as his athletic ability:

Tebow asked about Urlacher calling him a good running back: "Coming from a really good player, that means a lot."

—
Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) December 12, 2011