Lance Briggs acknowledged last November that his 12 years with the Chicago Bears were coming to a close.
Now the team is responding in kind.
The Bears have informed the impending free agent that he will not be offered a contract for the 2015 season, CSN Chicago reports.
After missing just four games over a span of 10 seasons from 2003-2012, Briggs has played in just 17 of 32 games the past two years.
Although he has been one of the premier weakside linebackers of his generation, Briggs is ill-suited for new coordinator Vic Fangio's 3-4 scheme after playing his entire career in a 4-3.
The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker can still stuff the run but has lost a step in range and closing speed. He is ranked 89th on Around The NFL's list of the Top 101 Free Agents.
Briggs will finish his Bears career with the fifth-most games and second-most tackles in franchise history.
If he decides to call it a career, Briggs will be remembered -- along with Brian Urlacher -- as the backbone of Lovie Smith's ball-hawking defense that peaked with a Super Bowl XLI appearance.
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