Lance Briggs: Chicago Bears LB Needs To Shut Up About His Contract
Published by Darrell Horwitz on September 2, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
They say you never know how dumb someone is until they open their mouth and take away all doubt. Chicago Bears weakside linebacker Lance Briggs eliminated that doubt when his agent Drew Rosenhaus filed a request on his behalf for a trade.
Selfish is also a word that comes to mind, and this isn’t the first time this has happened with Briggs.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the Bears, as they prepare for their opening game next Sunday against Atlanta.
With running back Matt Forte already asking for a new contract, you have to wonder if the team will be focused on their opponent, or on their bank accounts.
This also seems to throw Forte under the bus because he is truly underpaid based on the first three years of his rookie contract. Forte is only earning $550,000 on his base contract for this season.
He is also more deserving of the money because Briggs already collected $21.6 million in the first three years of his contract, including $13 million the first year including the signing bonus. Adding the $7.2 million he collected as a franchise player before he signed the contract in 2008, and you’re looking at $28.8 million he has pocketed since 2007.
But as usual for athletes, whatever they make is never enough. This latest turn came about because a couple of other linebackers recently received contracts paying them more than Briggs.
With his six consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, he feels he is more deserving of the money than they are. But is Briggs really that good, or does the system play to his strengths?
He can’t rush the passer, and the Cover 2 the Bears employ is designed to flow the traffic to his side of the field.
Former Bears linebacker Jamar Williams once had 19 tackles in a game against St. Louis a few years ago playing the same position.
Originally he came out last week asking to swap the $6.5 million he’s owed in 2013 with the $3.9 million he has coming this year. Now he has completely reversed directions with this latest move.
Back in 2007 he said he would never play for the Bears again after they franchised him, but he came back with his tail between his legs when his value on the open market the next season wasn’t nearly as much as he thought it would be.
That was three years ago, and a 30-year-old weakside linebacker who plays in a 4-3 defense is not the hottest property around. He’s not getting better, and has already exceeded his expiration date when you consider the average NFL player’s career is 3.3 years. He is in his ninth season.
Getting back to smarts, Briggs crashed his Lamborghini on the Edens expressway in 2007 and abandoned the car, saying he “panicked.” He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
He also has multiple children out of wedlock, all by different women, that he is paying child support to.
Maybe he needs to buy a Prius and a gross of condoms, because he obviously must have money issues if he is so adamant about needing more coin now.
Perhaps he could learn a lesson from former Chicago Bears icon Mike Ditka. One of his favorite sayings when someone upset him was, “Get your mouth shut.”
It’s time for Briggs to shut his trap and play.
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