Bears Blitz

Bears’ Linebacker Lance Briggs, an Underrated Star

Published by Ed Leiser on May 14, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Seven years ago, 67 players had been selected by NFL teams in the 2003 draft. The 68th pick would belong to the Chicago Bears.

The third round doesn’t always excite an NFL fan base, as the big names (and big dollars) had already been selected.

The Bears selected a three-time All-Pac-Ten linebacker from Arizona, a man who is now undoubtedly the face of their defense—if not the entire franchise.

In Lance Briggs, the Bears have one of the premier weak-side linebackers in the league.

Why, then, does Lance Briggs get shut out of the limelight in Chicago?

A five-time Pro Bowler, Briggs was up to his usual tricks last season, leading the team in tackles by recording another 100+ tackle season—his sixth in a row.

While Brian Urlacher missed all of last season with an injured wrist, it’s already the third time Briggs has led the team in tackles.

Just yesterday, Briggs was named to the second-team All-Pro defense—replacing Houston Texans’ linebacker Brian Cushing—for his outstanding season.

When you play in Chicago and hear about the linebacker legends of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher, it’s too easy to forget the importance of Briggs on the Bears.

But it’s time to give Briggs the respect and attention that he deserves, and realize that the Bears defense would not function without him.

His play-making abilities somehow don’t get mentioned as much as the big hits delivered by Brian Urlacher (or Mike Brown when he was still a Bear).

Briggs leads all NFL linebackers in interceptions returned for touchdowns over the last six seasons, and is second in the NFL (first among linebackers) in stuffs—a tackle of a rusher for negative yards.

Think of stuffs as “mini-sacks”—Briggs has over 44 of those mini-sacks since 2004.

You hear all the time about the importance of quarterback sacks and the ten or 12-yard losses being so important to defenses; stuffs are just as important in terms of stopping an opponent’s rushing attack.

It’s clear just how important Briggs is to the Bears’ defense.

Briggs’ lack-of-respect likely stems from his 2007 feud with Bears’ personnel over his contract status—but many fans are too ignorant as to what was really going on.

That offseason, Briggs, understandably, wanted a raise in salary to coincide with his outstanding performance in his first four seasons in Chicago.

The Bears’ front office was hesitant to give in to Briggs’ salary expectations for whatever reason, and toyed with the idea of trading him to Washington for a first-round draft pick.

The Bears eventually gave Briggs the franchise tag and he played the 2007 season on a one-year, $7.2 million salary.

While that money may seem appropriate, other linebackers—most of which were far less-talented—were making more money than Briggs.

Many fans believed Briggs to be greedy and too self-righteous, but if you’re better than most at your job, shouldn’t you be payed better?

The Director of Public Relations at a company makes more than the Assistant Director of Public Relations because the director is better. It’s the same scenario in the NFL.

Peyton Manning makes more money than David Carr—would anyone ever call that crazy?

It’s easy to criticize Briggs, but he simply wanted what was fair.

Briggs eventually opted to stay with the Bears, despite saying several times that he’d “played his last down in Chicago.”

The six-year, $36 million contract signed in 2008 ensured Briggs’ future in Chicago.

Had he left, there would likely be a black hole on the field right now at Soldier Field—a hole that would have been deeper with Urlacher’s injury last season.

Briggs may be the most-talented football player in Chicago at the moment and deserves to be recognized as one.

While Jay Cutler has never reached the post-season and Brian Urlacher has been slowed by injuries and age, Briggs has kept the good times rolling in the black-and-blue division.

Newcomer Julius Peppers likely has more pound-for-pound talent than Briggs, but it’ll be hard for Peppers to out-work and out-perform Lance Briggs.