NEWSLETTER
Brian Urlacher was a play-maker on the field who was seemingly always ready to engage with the hit stick.
And in retirement, Urlacher hasn’t been afraid of chirping when it comes to the Bears.
Sure, his prognostication skills have me laughing nervously after hearing he is giving the hiring of new Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus a stamp of approval. But in a cameo on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, Urlacher took a trip down memory lane and sounded off on Lovie Smith’s firing while reflecting on the past. Audacy’s Logan Mullen transcribes the discussion:
“It’s just like, why fire the guy? And I know why they fired him, because the new GM was a weirdo and he didn’t like winning, so he fired Lovie. … It’s frustrating because I love that franchise, so it’s frustrating to see the direction it went after they fired Lovie.”
I wish he would’ve been more vocal about this in the past. It’s not as if Bears fans wouldn’t come in droves backing Urlacher’s words. C’mon, now. We’ve all felt similarly about GM Phil Emery, whose brief tenure as Chicago GM was nothing short of a disaster. But better late than never, right? I mean, the least the Bears can do with this is learn and not make the same mistake again. Even still … where was this years ago, Brian?
To be fair, Urlacher isn’t alone in feeling that level of frustration. So, I’m glad he is letting loose now. Because in the nine years that have gone by since Smith’s firing, the Bears have been a mess. This team has hired more general managers (2) and head coaches (3) than it has had winning seasons (1) since the Lovie era came to an end in 2012. This franchise has endured five double-digit losing seasons and four last-place finishes in that span. Not great, Bob. And to further drive home the point that this organization has been organized chaos, Chicago has started 11 different quarterbacks since Lovie’s dismissal. What kind of Mickey Mouse organization does this?
I’d maintain that there might’ve been good reason to part ways with Lovie Smith after his run in Chicago. Truth is, sometimes things just need to come to an amicable end because it ran its course. But compounding the issue of firing a successful coach by ushering in the debacle that was the Marc Trestman era really put this team in a tailspin. One that it has yet to pull itself out from despite numerous organizational changes.
In the end, I’m circling NFL Week 3 on my calendar. That is when the Bears will play host to Lovie and his Houston Texans. Who is here for a reunion?
