Bears’ Lance Briggs Retired? Player Clarifies 2015 NFL Season Rumor

Will former linebacker for the Chicago Bears, Lance Briggs, retire officially soon? 2015 NFL season rumors claim this is the case, but the unsigned free agent says it is not quite official yet and that he hopes to keep playing.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, Jacksonville Jaguars rumors claim Julius Thomas’ surgery will keep him out for a good amount of time in the 2015 NFL season.

According to a post on the sports social network Sqor, Lance Briggs’ retirement plans are being announced a little too early. He even used a meme declaring, “Not so fast, my friend!”

“Ahem! I have not filed any papers,” Briggs wrote with a teeny bit of indignation. “I have NOT offically retired. However, I am excited to begin the next phase of my life, and will make an official decision in the coming weeks!”

The reason everyone assumed we would see Lance Briggs retire soon is because of a report by CSN, where the seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker will be joining them as studio analyst for live Chicago Bears coverage.

“I’m excited to continue my partnership with Comcast SportsNet,” Briggs said. “I’ve had the good fortune of being a part of this network over the past few years. I credit Pat Boyle who immediately made me feel at home here and I always told him I wanted to be here after my career. It’s just a great atmosphere and I love being surrounded by some really great people. This was the right decision for me.”

“We are pleased and excited Lance will be joining our pregame and postgame Bears coverage beginning this season,” CSN Chicago Senior Director of News and Original Content Kevin Cross said. “His combination of deep football knowledge, his love for the Bears, along with his all-around engaging personality, will be a perfect fit for our in-depth coverage.”

Of course, the reason for all the confusion is because the headline specifically said that “Lance Briggs retires.” According to the Chicago Tribune, when they asked Briggs directly by phone, the NFL player told them that “nothing is official yet” and there may be room for a 13th season.

During Super Bowl XLIX, Lance Briggs also made it clear that he hoped to keep playing as long as the NFL teams will hire him for the job.

“Outside of freak injuries, I’ve been durable,” Briggs said. “I want to play. At this point in my career, I understand a whole lot.”

[Image via Getty Images]