Former Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs announced his retirement with plans to join Comcast SportsNet Chicago as a football analyst, the network revealed on Wednesday.
Briggs, whom the Bears opted not to re-sign in the offseason, spent his entire 12-year career with the organization, amassing 936 tackles, 15 sacks and 16 interceptions in 173 career games. He made the Pro Bowl on seven occasions, most recently in the 2011 season, and he was part of the defense that led the Bears to a berth in the 2007 Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts.
According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, Briggs will file paperwork with the NFL this week to make his retirement official.
BIG NEWS: @LanceBriggs is joining our @ChicagoBears coverage team! #BearsTalk pic.twitter.com/KaOXaTLdbm — Comcast SportsNet (@CSNChicago) September 2, 2015
Briggs’ relationship with the Bears was often contentious, with trade demands and contract squabbles frequently popping up during his tenure in Chicago. He was also involved in his fair share of controversy off the field, including his famous Lamborghini crash in 2007 and his decision to skip a team practice in 2014 to attend the opening of his restaurant in California.
Even with those distractions and issues that he brought to the table, Briggs remained an integral part of the Bears’ defense as he teamed up with Brian Urlacher for a good chunk of his career. The duo provided an anchor in the middle of the defense that routinely ranked as one of the NFL’s best, and with Briggs in the fold the team made the postseason in 2007 and 2011.
