Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher has opened up about his public rift with the Chicago Bears, which stemmed from controversial social media posts he made during the summer of 2020.
Appearing on The Sage Steele Show, Urlacher defended his original comments, saying his views were about supporting law enforcement and had nothing to do with race.
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The controversy began in August 2020 after the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At the time, NBA players boycotted playoff games in protest.
Urlacher shared an Instagram story comparing the NBA players’ boycott to former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre playing a game in 2003 shortly after his father passed away.
The Chicago Bears quickly issued a statement distancing the organization from Urlacher’s post, stating his views did not align with the franchise’s values. Team chairman George McCaskey later said he initially suspected Urlacher’s account had been hacked and declined to pass judgment before speaking with him directly.
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Urlacher explained what prompted him to share the post. “I had said something about the guy in Wisconsin who pulled a knife on the cops and ended up getting shot,” he said.
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When asked whether he was referring to Jacob Blake, Urlacher confirmed as much and explained his reasoning.
“Yeah, Brett Favre played the day after his father passed. They chose not to play because the guy got shot for pulling a knife on police officers. I saw it on someone else’s story and was like, well, I like this. I’m going to put it on my story. Oh, my gosh. End of the world. Racist.
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“Nothing to do with race. Everything to do with what policing and what I thought was the right thing. Nothing I said had to do with race,” he said, explaining why the team ‘disowned’ him.
Urlacher said he was surprised by how strongly people reacted and maintained that his comments were focused on policing rather than race.
Urlacher’s Comments Drew Pushback From His Former Teammates
The Bears’ statement was not the only response Urlacher received.
Former Bears running back Matt Forte publicly criticized his former teammate’s post, saying it lacked empathy, compassion, wisdom, and coherence. Forte also argued that Urlacher’s wealth and privilege had affected his understanding of the broader issues surrounding the protests.
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Urlacher, however, said he never understood why race and privilege became part of the conversation. He maintained that his opinion came from his support for police officers and his belief that they should be allowed to do their jobs.
The former linebacker also made clear that standing during the national anthem remains an important personal belief. He said he was “lucky” not to have played during the period when NFL players widely protested by kneeling during the anthem because he would have found the situation difficult.
The controversy created a rare public divide between Urlacher and the Bears, a franchise he spent his entire 13-year NFL career representing. Years after his departure from the field, Urlacher continues to maintain that his original stance was misunderstood.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Brian Urlacher, Bears, Brett Favre, police shooting of Jacob Blake
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