Brian Urlacher told "The Rich Eisen Podcast" on Wednesday that he retired from football because he realized he is "just not quite the same player" he used to be. Urlacher later told WMVP-AM in Chicago that he couldn't envision wearing a jersey other than that of the Chicago Bears.
The truth is there was one team that intrigued Urlacher enough to keep playing had it pursued his services: The Dallas Cowboys.
"If I could have picked a spot, it would have been Dallas," Urlacher said, via the Chicago Tribune. "(The Cowboys) run our defense. They took our D-coordinator (Rod Marinelli). That would have been ideal. But they have two really good young linebackers."
At this point in his career, Urlacher simply doesn't hold a candle to Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee, who was playing at an All-Pro level before a late October toe injury ended his season. The Cowboys also have high expectations for rangy weak-side linebacker Bruce Carter in the role Derrick Brooks filled in the Tampa 2 defense.
Once Urlacher realized the interest wasn't mutual, he decided to "shut it down" on his own terms.
"We talked to every team in the NFL, and maybe in July or August it would have happened, but I'm not going to wait," Urlacher explained. "I want to be somewhere where somebody wants me."
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
