Brian Urlacher turned 34 on Friday. He's been a member of the Chicago Bears for more than a third of his life. The man has seen things.
This qualifies Urlacher to discuss matters of perspective when it comes to pro football teams that call Soldier Field home.
"Yes, it's not even close," Urlacher, an eight-time Pro Bowler, said Friday on WMVP-AM. "The talent we have on this team is phenomenal -- Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler is healthy, our O-line is huge. I haven't talked about our defense yet but our offensive line, they're big. They're big bodies in there.
"On defense, we're pretty much the same as we have been," he went on. "We have a couple of young guys in there. It's exciting to watch. You know, I haven't been able to participate but it's been fun to watch so far."
Urlacher has been part of four playoff teams in his 12 seasons with the Bears, including the 2006 group that lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. It's clear he believes the Bears filled in the gaps on offense, and he expects disgruntled all-purpose running back Matt Forte to eventually join the team.
Urlacher's window as an elite player might be closing, but he's confident a golden opportunity to secure his first Super Bowl ring is sitting right in front of him.
