Lance Briggs is one of the best defensive players in Chicago Bears history. That is an undeniable fact. People like to say he lived in the shadow of Brian Urlacher and all that. It’s not true. The guy was a truly great player. If life were fair he’d be a Hall of Fame lock. Nobody can say he wasn’t one of the best in the NFL at his position for almost a decade. Yet we all know there is nothing fair about the evaluation process when it comes to Canton. It’s a completely subjective process run by voters who each have different specifications for what makes a Hall of Famer.
If one were to go by just the numbers? It’s not even an argument. Between the regular season and the playoffs, he totaled 1,223 tackles, 17 interceptions, 15 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, and six defensive touchdowns. Few linebackers in NFL history reach those types of stats. Never mind the seven Pro Bowls he participated in. Did he win a championship? No. That’s not really his fault. Dan Pompei of The Athletic, a Hall of Fame voter who has followed Briggs throughout his career, believes Briggs is Canton-worthy.
So does a former nemesis who played against him.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers considers Briggs the premier outside cover linebacker he has played against and says it’s difficult to even think of anyone else in the conversation.
“When I think about outside linebackers, I think about Lance,” he told me. “When I compare him to other guys who started for a long time over the years in those spots with other teams, especially division teams, there is just no comparison. Sean Lee had a good run for a long time as a weakside ‘backer. But I think Lance was definitely more dominant and more impactful and did more.”
When all-time great QBs respect Lance Briggs, that means a lot
It’s okay to hate Aaron Rodgers for being a nightmare for the Bears over the years, but nobody can say he lacks respect for those he’s played against. He already went on record saying that Urlacher was the greatest defensive player he ever went against. So seeing him endorse Briggs, another guy who made his life tough during his early days as the Packers starter, is not surprising. Rodgers has always appreciated the history of the game and loves when the competition is at its highest.
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There hasn’t been a 4-3 outside linebacker even close to what Briggs was since he retired. That should be a reminder of how great he was. In the end, will he get in? Maybe someday but it feels like his odds are pretty long. Not because he doesn’t deserve, but because there are too many issues of a political nature that will be going against him.
