Briggs Says He'll Set Out 2007

The glow of a Super Bowl appearance can't extinguish the shadows that are creeping up on the Chicago Bears.

Top running back Thomas Jones was shipped to the New York Jets last week and now this week, Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs took his war of words to the next level.

"I am now prepared to sit out the year if the Bears don't trade me or release me," Briggs told FoxSports.com on Monday night. "I've played my last snap for them. I'll never play another down for Chicago again."

Frustrated that he couldn't work out an extension with the Bears and angered that the team slapped the franchise designation on him, Briggs told ESPN.com a week ago that a trade would be in the best interest of all parties.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo countered that he felt the $7.2 million the team would pay Briggs next season was very fair. The linebacker reportedly turned down a seven-year, $33 million deal in March 2006. Now, he's ready to gamble again.

"People think I can't afford to sit out the year -- I can take out loans to get me through that year just fine because eventually I'll have a deal somewhere," Briggs told FoxSports.com. "There are things I can do to make sure I'm fine financially if I sit out. I can also decide what other course of action I can take as the season gets closer. The Bears have shown I'm not in their long-term plans so if that's the case, I don't want to be here."

Money might not be the only reason Briggs wants out of Chicago. He said he wants to be the leader of a team and knows he'll never overtake Brian Urlacher in Chicago.

"I've talked to Brian about it," Briggs told the Web site. "I'm a competitor and I want the same thing he has. I've learned a lot from Brian as a player and a leader and I eventually want to be 'the man' somewhere. I want to be like him and have everything put on me too. Obviously I'll never be able to do that there.

"Still, had the Bears made me a long-term offer that I found acceptable, I probably would have sacrificed this desire and stayed. I don't want to be somewhere I'm not wanted long-term."