RealGM

Imagine Brian Urlacher wearing a uniform other than the customary Chicago Bears blue and orange.

While that's likely difficult to envision, Urlacher, who enters the final year of his contract understands the reality he could very well be playing for a different team in 2013, and despite his desire to remain with the club, the linebacker finds the prospect of free agency somewhat exciting.

"I think (team president) Ted Phillips said when they had the owners meeting they're gonna wait until the season is over; see what happens, how I play (before addressing the contract situation)," Urlacher said Friday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "It's kind of exciting. I've never been a free agent. So if I can get to free agency we'll see what happens. I no doubt want to finish my career here. There's no doubt about that. But you bring in free agency and all that you just never know what's gonna happen.

Touchdown!

Jenny McCarthy has a new man in her life – Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

The actress announced the happy news to Chicago's NBC 5 at a Generation Rescue autism charity event on Thursday. "I can confirm that yes it's true, we are dating," she said at the event.

And while McCarthy, 39, didn't elaborate, she does seem to be spirited about everything. "Go Bears," she said, "that's all I'll say."

According to E!, which confirmed the relationship through McCarthy's publicist, the two have been dating for about a month and have been spotted together enjoying dinner in Chicago at Giuliana and Bill Rancic's RPM Italian restaurant.

Next up for McCarthy: a comprehensive photo shoot for Playboy.

emperorjones wrote:I wouldn't be afraid to let Urlacher walk.

BIGGIEsmalls 23 wrote:

emperorjones wrote:I wouldn't be afraid to let Urlacher walk.

This is a tough one for me because I would love to see him finish his career here & retire as a lifelong Bears, but he doesn't seem to be the type that will give us a "home team" discount. He has kids & baby mamas all over the place ...."Gotta feed the family"--Latrell Spreewell.

On a positive note, I'm looking forward to his new lady's Playboy shoot .

patryk7754 wrote:

BIGGIEsmalls 23 wrote:

emperorjones wrote:I wouldn't be afraid to let Urlacher walk.

This is a tough one for me because I would love to see him finish his career here & retire as a lifelong Bears, but he doesn't seem to be the type that will give us a "home team" discount. He has kids & baby mamas all over the place ...."Gotta feed the family"--Latrell Spreewell.

On a positive note, I'm looking forward to his new lady's Playboy shoot .

Actually I think he would give us a discount or at least be reasonable in is contract offer because of his age. He has always been willing to restructure his contracts to help keep the team in tact

The face of the Bears can smile now, because Chicago is about to make Brian Urlacher one happy middle linebacker.

According to sources, Urlacher and the Bears have come to terms on a revised contract, which includes a one-year extension, thus ending their offseason contract squabble.

Urlacher, 30, had four years and approximately $25.5 million remaining on his contract. Under the terms of the upgraded deal, Urlacher will receive a $6 million signing bonus along with a $1 million bump in salary each of the next four years. The sides also have agreed to extend the pact into 2012, at a salary of $7.5 million. Urlacher can earn an additional $500,000 in a workout bonus in 2012.

That's a total of roughly $43.5 million over the next five years, with $18 million in new money for the six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro.

The Bears arrive at training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill., on Tuesday, when Urlacher is expected to sign the new contract. Urlacher's status had been a hot topic throughout the offseason. He believed he had outperformed the nine-year contract he signed in 2003. He missed some voluntary workouts but did not miss any mandatory team activities while agents Pat Dye Jr. and Bill Johnson negotiated with the Bears.

jl342323 wrote:urlacher has been a face of the franchise for the last decade.

plz let him retire as a bears. plz

Cliff Levingston wrote:Oh man, if only we could see that chick Brian Urlacher is dating naked!

The Bears' Pro Bowl linebacker, already sidelined with a knee injury, appears to have been left on the sidelines by his Playboy-covergirl girlfriend Jenny McCarthy.

"Brian and I have decided to turn our romance into an amazing friendship," McCarthy reportedly told PEOPLE magazine in a statement. "I will continue to be the biggest cheerleader for him. Go, Bears!"

Reports of their relationship surfaced in April. She confirmed it a month later. And in June she told the TODAY show's Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb that she was in love.

McCarthy recently moved back to the Chicago area, saying she was hoping to "bring some lucky charm to the team."

Urlacher recently missed a number of pre-season practices. The team said there were "personal reasons" for his absence. We learned this week that Urlacher had knee surgery, but perhaps the separation from McCarthy had a hand in it, as well.