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This news is not necessarily Cleveland Browns-related, but it closes the book on the career of another one of the league's best inside linebackers. Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were the best players at their positions in their respective conferences for a very long time, and earlier today, Urlacher officially announced his retirement from the NFL.
Our Bears affiliate, Windy City Gridiron, posted some of the reactions people and teams have had on Twitter. Here is a nice one from the Arizona Cardinals organization, giving Urlacher a shout out for the havoc he has caused them in the past:
You were who we thought you were.Congrats.RT @burlacher54: It was an honor to play my entire career for the @chicagobears.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 22, 2013
More reaction on Urlacher's retirement can be found here.
In recent memory, the only player on the Browns who stacks up to Urlacher in terms of a legacy is kicker Phil Dawson. After 14 seasons with the team, though Dawson signed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason. In a couple of years, Joe Thomas will fall into the category of being a legendary Brown.