So Long Urlacher, It Was a Nice 1/32nd of a Season

In recent years, Brian Urlacher has been one of those guys who’s seen swings from stalwart to surprisingly average season by season. By all early indications, this was supposed to be a return to form for the Bears linebacker. He wasn’t dogged by some of the lingering injuries that had been holding him back.↵↵Now he’s going to be held out for the remainder of the 2009 campaign after dislocating his right wrist on the Packers first offensive drive of the second half in the season opener in Green Bay. Initially thought to be gone for a few weeks, his status took a turn for the worse once doctors got a better look at the wrist, which will be operated on today. Coupled with the knee injury to teammate Pisa Tinoisamoa (expected to be sidelined 2-4 weeks) the Bears will go raiding the free agent market for a quick fix. Former Buccaneers middle linebacker Derrick Brooks is a logical choice, but absent any word from the team, it’s difficult to say which direction they will go. (Adam Schefter is reporting the Bears are talking with Brooks.)↵

↵↵Between a vaunted new franchise quarterback looking worse against a chief rival than his predecessor ever did and a defense suddenly in disarray, a Bears team that had high hopes now stares down a two week stretch of the defending champion Steelers at home and a suddenly resurgent-looking Seahawks team in Seattle. With an emotional leader now gone from the defense, more and more responsibility falls on the shaky, shifting shoulders of Jay Cutler. Does anyone think he has the equanimity to focus a team panicking after a possible 0-3 start? Probably not many of his own teammates do right now.↵

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