Brian Urlacher, done for 2009

If the Bears had to lose a star player to injury in Week 1 for the rest of the season, it may as well be Brian Urlacher. It's better than losing Cutler, or Forte, and probably Briggs. As bad as being without Urlacher in the middle is going to be, it's certainly better than watching Caleb Hanie or - gulp - Garrett Wolfe for 15 games. Urlacher's season ending wrist injury is a blow to the Bears' 2009 chances to be sure, but I don't think it's a death wish.

It's a shame because I really thought Urlacher was poised for a huge year. That (late) hit on Aaron Rodgers in the first half Sunday night was classic Urlacher, the type of blast we really haven't seen since the Super Bowl run. By all accounts, this was the first season Urlacher would be truly healthy since then. He spent this offseason getting stronger and getting faster, as opposed to recovering from injuries, which is how he spent he previous couple of offseasons. I would have loved to have been able to see what he could have done this year without the nagging injuries that dragged him down recently.

For a guy who always seems hurt, I'm surprised Urlacher has only missed seven games in his career, all in 2004. Back then, of course, it was a tragedy. 2004 was the last season the Bears were really, truly awful, and Urlacher's absence had a lot to do with it. Craig Krenzel, Jonathan Quinn, and Chad Hutchinson might have had something to do with it, too. Of course, the bad season led to a top-five draft pick, which the Bears used on.....Cedric Benson.


Worst season ever? Worst season ever.

Unlike most of you, I never really turned on Urlacher. Oh sure, he's made his fair share of mistakes - it's never good when you can recall multiple girlfriends from an athlete, especially when one is a stripper from Joliet. The whole "give me more money or I'll retire!" thing was kind of a bummer, too. But let's not forget that this type of behavior is more the norm than irregular. The Bears, as much as any other NFL franchise this side of the Bengals, like to party. And let's also forget that Lance Briggs once led off SportsCenter by saying he'd never play for the Bears again. Urlacher has obviously messed up several times during his Bears tenure, but I'm not sure if any were unforgivable.

So now what? Derrick Brooks. Eh, I hope not. Derrick Brooks is 36 years old. He has 14 seasons of NFL wear and tear on his body. He was drafted the same year as this guy.


That was a long, long, long time ago. It was like, by my count, seven first round draft busts ago! Mind-blowing, right?

I guess signing Brooks for a year at the veteran minimum has no real downside, but I think Hunter Hillenmeyer could probably do a better job. He wasn't terrible as a starter before, he knows the defense, he wasn't draft the same year as Rashaan Salaam.

If nothing else, it's better than starting Hanie for 15 games. Maybe we should consider ourselves lucky.