One does not have to keep rooting for the team they played with. Brian Urlacher yet again proved that. It was the Chicago Bears that trusted the linebacker and drafted him in the first round as the ninth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Since then and till the time he retired, Urlacher devoted his entire NFL career to Chicago. But deep down in his heart, his love has forever been for Dallas, as he made a surprising claim. 

“I like the Bears. But my favorite team is not the Bears,” he shared on the Caps Off podcast. “I always hear Bears fans say, you know, I grew up watching the Bears with my dad on Sundays. So I grew up with my dad watching the Cowboys. So I grew up a Cowboys fan. It hurts people’s feelings when I say that because they think I should be a Bears, all the time, but I didn’t grow up that way.”

It was in Chicago that Urlacher shaped a Hall of Fame career for himself. He left his mark on the Bears record book with linebacker franchise records for solo tackles (1,052), assisted tackles (306) and sacks (41.5). He also recorded 22 interceptions, tying Dick Butkus for second in team history. Across all Chicago defenders, his total tackles (1,779) are the franchise standard, while his sacks (41.5) rank sixth and interceptions are tied for 10th. But all this success was not enough to tone down the love he has for Jerry Jones’ Cowboys. So much so that had he had a chance to pick a team, it would have been Dallas.

“If I could have picked a spot, it would have been Dallas,” Urlacher once told the Chicago Tribune. “(The Cowboys) run our defense. They took our (defensive) coordinator. That would have been ideal. But they have two really good young linebackers.”

Was there a chance to suit up for the Bears while he was committed to Chicago? Yes. Urlacher’s future with the Bears became increasingly uncertain after the 2012 season, as reports indicated the team was hesitant to bring back the defensive centerpiece. That’s when buzz picked up that the Cowboys were interested in adding one of the strongest defensive weapons, as well as one of the biggest fans. However, Stephen Jones rained on the possibilities. 

With Sean Lee already holding down the middle of the defense, Dallas had little reason to invest financially in the veteran linebacker. With the Cowboys’ opportunity not seeing any future, Urlacher retired on May 22, 2013.

But even a decade later, his love for the franchise stays as strong as before. The Cowboys last won the Super Bowl on January 28, 1996, when Urlacher joined the University of New Mexico. A lot of time has passed since then. He played 12 years in the NFL, and it has been more than a decade since Urlacher retired. But the Cowboys’ luck did not favor them in bringing home another Super Bowl. The desperation could be felt in Urlacher’s statement.

“Every year, Super Bowl,” he said when asked about his expectations from Dallas. I’m a Cowboys fan. “We’re going to win the Super Bowl every single year. Well, ceiling best, I mean, they could, so the division, to me, is not super strong. Sure. I feel like the Cowboys should win the division. Doesn’t mean they will. 

“The ceiling: division champs, and then find a way to the NFC Championship Game and maybe win it. The floor: they could be seven and ten. They could be five. I mean, they’ve let me down plenty of times. We were just talking a while ago about how I bet on certain things with them, and I just don’t seem to ever work out the way I think it should.”

Super Bowl is a long road to go. Right now, the Bears are at 2-1 while the Cowboys are at 1-2.