As distractions go, Bears' Briggs is an All-Pro
It's a good thing that Lance Briggs doesn't want to be a distraction to the Bears who, in less than two weeks, begin a regular season in which they hope to take the next step after last season's loss in the NFC title game.
If Lance Briggs was a selfish, me-first type of player, he might put his own desire for a pay raise ahead of the team. If Lance Briggs didn't care about being a distraction to the Bears, he might demand a trade if he doesn't get a renegotiation of the six-year, $36 million contract he signed three years ago, a deal that has already paid him $21.6 million.
Oh wait, Briggs actually has told the Bears to trade him if they won't pay him more than his $3.9 million base salary this year. He explained his situation and his agent's moves to a Chicago Tribune reporter.
With the Bears' toughest three-game stretch of the season rapidly approaching, Briggs has once again put his own self-centered interests ahead of the team. It's not like starting the season against the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers requires the Bears' undivided attention. Those teams were only a combined 34-14 last season.
This type of behavior is nothing new for Briggs, and it's certainly nothing new for his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who specializes in weaseling out of contracts that he has negotiated by threatening a holdout or demanding a trade.
You may remember back in 2007, when Briggs vowed never to play another down for the Bears, because they would not meet his contract demands. Then, when the Bears placed the transition tag on him, Briggs was “forced” to play the 2007 season for $7.2 million. That means he has been paid $28.8 million over the past four years. But that, apparently, isn't enough.
It makes you wonder: How much really is enough for Briggs? He has been a great player, as evident by his current streak of six straight trips to the Pro Bowl. But he's not a factor in the pass rush, as are many of the highly paid linebackers around the league. In eight years, Briggs has a total of 10 ½ sacks.
Linebackers such as the Cowboys' DeMarcus Ware, the Chiefs' Tamba Hali and the Packers' Clay Matthews all had more than 13 sacks each in the 2010 season alone.
After that 2007 season, Briggs tested the open market in free agency. He discovered that no team in the NFL was willing to pay him more than what the Bears were offering. That's because he's not worth any more than that — 31 other teams said so.
Briggs got what he was worth in 2008, and he was more than happy to cash the bonus checks that totaled $15.8 million over the past three years.
And now he wants more. Or he wants to be traded to a team that will pay him more. It obviously doesn't matter to Briggs where he plays, as long as he gets paid.
Good thing he doesn't want to be a distraction.
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