Lance Briggs: Time to Say Good Bye …

Sep 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy (27) is tackled by Chicago Bears outside linebacker Lance Briggs (55) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time to say good bye to Lance Briggs.  I know the Bears fans want Cutler benched, Trestman and Tucker fired, but for my money, the one player that exemplifies what is wrong with this team is Lance Briggs.   At the end of last season, Tillman was quoted as saying there were players not buying into Trestman.  Based on effort and attitude it was felt the finger was pointing at Peppers, Hester and a few others. It is obvious now, he was talking about Briggs.  When Urlacher retired, it was assumed Briggs would step in and take that leadership role.  Never happened and when you look at Briggs career it was evident he wouldn’t.

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Briggs has been a Bear now since 2003, and has had a decent career. Certainly not a HOF career by any stretch, some would argue without Urlacher, we are seeing the real Briggs now.  That might be unfair due to age and injuries, but the reality is, Lance is not a leader, nor really cares one way or the other.  He has always had the aura of its all about me, go back to 2007, when his contract was being renewed. He slammed the Bears organization continuously, said  he didn’t want to play for the Bears.  Funny how that changed when they handed him $36M for six years. The turns around in two years and demands  a trade if the deal isn’t reworked.  Add in the car accident, that he ran from in a state of “panic”, and you see what you are getting, a player that puts himself before the team.

Now you fast forward to this season, it has only gotten worse.   We start the nightmare with his excused absence to open his BBQ restaurant right before a game.  It was nice of Trestman, but in the end it was Briggs telling his teammates where his priorities were, and it wasn’t the Bears.  Next, was the whole walking out of the locker room when Marshall went on his tirade.  Walked out! The defense is a mess, the team is crumbling, and the most senior veteran, just walks out.   Next, was last week, when Briggs spoke about this being his last season.  He mentions off hand that five minutes into team meetings he is zoning out. Really?  He is quite the role model for Bostic, Jones and McClellin isn’t he?  Old Lance snoring in team meetings, leadership personified.

Sadly it gets worse and the exclamation point of the disaster known as Lance Briggs.  Green Bay, Jordy Nelson romps off with a 73 yard touchdown pass.  We all sat there stupefied. how that could have happened? We were yelling at Mundy, even Conte got blamed!  Now it has come to light, Briggs made the wrong check out of coverage.  Fair enough, mistakes happen, but this is so out there it defies logic.  Not only was it the wrong check, it was a check out not even part of Tucker’s scheme, it was from Lovies!!!! Is it any wonder the defensive backs are looking lost?

Lance for all in tense and purposes is finished.  The right thing for him to do is retire now, get out of the way. Barring that, the Bears organization should release him or at the very least bench him.  He has become the poster child for what is wrong with the Bears defense.