The Bears might not appreciate Urlacher's value until they take the field without him this fall. A severe left knee injury suffered at the end of the 2011 season kept him from roaming the field in his usual fashion last season. His teammates, however, understood the importance of having him out there as a defensive field general and overall team leader, even if a step slower.

Lance Briggs, Urlacher's tag-team partner at linebacker, was too emotional to talk about his friend's abrupt departure when contacted by phone Wednesday. Pro Bowl cornerback Tim Jennings had a difficult time coming to grips with the news too.

"Hell, yeah, it's a shock to me," Jennings said. "I thought the organization would at least have a little bit more respect for the man, pay him what he's worth and not try to lowball him.

"Brian knows what he's worth, going out there at the stage of his career that he's at and risking his body. It was very insulting to hear what they thought of him. And it's very disappointing that he won't be coming back."

Urlacher's legend was born Sept. 17, 2000, when he recorded 13 tackles and a sack in his first NFL start after being drafted in the first round out of New Mexico. Thirteen seasons and a franchise-record 1,776 tackles later (according to team statistics), Urlacher must start a new chapter in his career.

His agents have been in contact with the Cowboys, Vikings, Cardinals and others since the start of free agency. The Cowboys appear to be a long shot based on their tight salary-cap situation and faith in Sean Lee at middle linebacker. The Vikings plan to address their middle linebacker void through the draft.

Urlacher isn't focused on any one team.

"I would like to go somewhere that has a chance to win," Urlacher said. "There are a lot of opportunities out there for me. I'm not in any hurry to make any decisions right now."

Despite the way things ended, Urlacher said he is not bitter toward the franchise as a whole.

"There are no hard feelings between me and the Bears organization," Urlacher said. "I'm going to miss the hell out of my teammates. I had a great run here."