If there’s anyone who knows what it takes to dominate on the defensive end of the ball, it’s Brian Urlacher.
The Chicago Bears great won the 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, went to the Pro Bowl on eight occasions and was a five-time All-Pro selection. Urlacher is regarded as arguably the best linebacker of the 2000s decade and his consistent play over the course of 13 seasons (2000-2012) landed him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Urlacher pays close attention to what is going on in today’s NFL and he has an interesting take on the Los Angeles Rams‘ recent trade acquisition of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Garrett is coming off of his second Defensive Player of the Year award after breaking the single-season sack record (23 sacks). The 30-year-old star did that as a member of the Cleveland Browns, a struggling franchise that won just five games last season, which was one of the worst records in the league.
Why Myles Garrett Could Break Single-Season Sack Record — Again
According to Urlacher, Garrett has a great chance to break his own single-season sack record now that he’s on the Rams. Urlacher’s argument is that the Rams — who many consider to now be the Super Bowl favorites — will have big leads which will force opposing offenses and quarterbacks to pass the ball more than usual. That will give Garrett more chances to sack the quarterback than he had previously before with the Browns, when many teams would run the ball due to their leads over Cleveland.
“Myles Garrett is going to have 500 sacks this year,” Urlacher said. “He’s going to play with so many leads. He’s never played with a lead in Cleveland. Can you imagine what this guy’s going to do? This dude’s never been on a great team where you can actually rush the quarterback every single play. Now he’s going to be in Los Angeles, and he’s going to be on turf. Unbelievable.
“Think about how nearly every game, they were either behind or it was close,” Urlacher continued. “Now they’re going to score a ton of points there, and he’s going to have the lead, so he can rush faster. It’s going to be … it’s going to be stupid to watch.”
Aaron Donald Could Come out of Retirement
The notion of the Rams holding a lead which will force opposing offenses to go one-dimensional and pass the ball makes sense. That would obviously lead to Garrett having an even greater opportunity to rack up sacks.
What’s also an underrated aspect is the fact that Garrett will be joining a talented defensive unit that features Braden Fiske — who was a runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 — and potentially Aaron Donald. The 35-year-old Donald has been retired for a couple of years but is considering coming out of retirement. Donald is widely regarded as the best defensive player of his generation, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards while notching 10 Pro Bowl selections during all 10 of his seasons in the NFL.
Garrett has six consecutive seasons with at least 12 sacks, which is an NFL record. The Rams ranked seventh in the NFL in sacks last season. Adding Garrett — the best pass rusher in the league — to the mix will only make Los Angeles even more dangerous in the trenches.
Brian Urlacher Playing in American Century Championship
As Urlacher braces for another eventful NFL season, he’ll be keeping busy on the greens. That’s because the Bears linebacker will be participating in the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, the biggest celebrity golf tournament. The tournament will take place between July 10-12 and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
Bears Legend Brian Urlacher Drops Bold Myles Garrett Take After Rams Trade