Brian Urlacher fires back after Bears 'disowned' him
Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher says the Chicago Bears “disowned” him over 2020 social media posts that he insists had nothing to do with race. Appearing on The Sage Steele Show, he defended comparing NBA playoff boycotts after the Jacob Blake shooting to Brett Favre playing after his father’s death, framing the spat as a policing debate.
Key Takeaways
- Brian Urlacher told The Sage Steele Show his 2020 Instagram comments were about policing, not race.
- The Chicago Bears publicly distanced themselves after his post criticizing NBA playoff boycotts following the Jacob Blake shooting.
- Chairman George McCaskey said he first thought Urlacher’s account might have been hacked.
- Urlacher has also blasted Illinois leaders over migrant spending as the Bears eye Hammond, Indiana.
- Stadium expert Marc Ganis blames Springfield politics for failing to lock in an Illinois deal.
Why Did the Chicago Bears Distance Themselves From Brian Urlacher?
In August 2020, after police shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, NBA players boycotted playoff games in protest. Urlacher shared an Instagram story comparing that boycott to Brett Favre playing a game shortly after his father passed away.
The Bears quickly issued a statement distancing the organization from the post, saying his views did not align with the franchise’s values. McCaskey later said he initially suspected Urlacher’s account had been hacked and declined to pass judgment before speaking with him directly.
Former Bears running back Matt Forte also criticized the post, saying it lacked empathy, compassion, wisdom, and coherence, and arguing that Urlacher’s privilege shaped his view. Urlacher said he never understood why race and privilege entered the conversation.
What Did Brian Urlacher Say About Race and Policing?
“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,” Urlacher told Sage Steele, according to Yahoo Sports.
He said he saw the Favre comparison on someone else’s story, liked it, and reposted it—then watched the backlash explode. He also said he was “lucky” he did not play during widespread NFL kneeling protests, because standing for the anthem remains an important personal belief.
Years later, the Hall of Famer still maintains the original stance was misunderstood and that the franchise misread support for law enforcement as a racial attack.
How Does the Bears Stadium Fight Tie Into His Criticism?
On the same show circuit, Urlacher has slammed Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as the team weighs a rumored move to Northwest Indiana. He claimed Pritzker “gave 2.8 billion dollars to the illegal immigrants” that “could have been set aside for the Bears stadium,” and urged leaders to “quit funding illegal immigrants.”
He still prefers Soldier Field and says fans will dislike an Indiana shift—“It’s not Chicago. It’s not Illinois”—even if the drive is only about 20 minutes farther. Business-wise, he acknowledges Indiana’s tax and stadium offer looks stronger because the Bears do not own Soldier Field.
That political deadlock matches reporting from CBS News Chicago: after Illinois lawmakers failed to pass property-tax and megaprojects measures for Arlington Heights, Bears executives said their “sole focus” is due diligence near Wolf Lake in Hammond. For more market and policy coverage, see BlasterPost’s Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
Urlacher’s career ran from 2000 through 2012 in Chicago; he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018. The renewed feud shows how one viral post still shadows a Bears icon while stadium politics keep reshaping the franchise’s future.