Source: USA TODAY

Brian Urlacher will not play for another team.

The longtime Chicago Bears middle linebacker announced Wednesday morning he will retire. Urlacher’s contract with the Bears expired in March, and he and the team could not come to agreement on a new deal.

“Although I could continue playing, I’m not sure I would bring a level of performance of passion that’ sup to my standards,” said in a statement posted to his Twitter account. “When considering this, along with the fact that I could retire after a 13 year career wearing only one jersey for such a storied franchise, my decision became pretty clear.”

Urlacher, who will turn 35 on Saturday, was the No. 9 pick in the 2000 draft and became the Bears’ starting middle linebacker early in his rookie season. He defined the position, along with Baltimore’s Ray Lewis, for the next decade. Urlacher was named to eight Pro Bowls, was a five-time All Pro selection and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2005.

It’s possible Urlacher and Lewis could enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame together.

Urlacher struggled to stay healthy the past few years, with a dislocated wrist in 2009, a knee injury late in 2011 and a hamstring injury that kept him out of the final month of last season.

“I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the great Bears fans. I’m proud to say I gave all of you everything I had every time I took the field,” Urlacher said. “I will miss this great game, but I leave it with no regrets.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – Peyton Manning read last month that, in NFL circles, his name has become synonymous with work, as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones challenged quarterback Tony Romo to put in “Peyton Manning-type time on the job.”

Manning told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday he was flattered by the idea that he is the NFL standard bearer for how to do the job of an NFL quarterback.

“I guess I would take that as a flattering comment. It’s not really for me to weigh in on what’s going on there [in Dallas],” Manning said. “But I have always thought a quarterback has to put in time on the cerebral side of the game because there’s much more to it that just the physical side of it.”

Romo has endured criticism in the past for his choices away from the Cowboys facility, from a long-ago relationship with singer Jessica Simpson, to a vacation in Mexico or time spent on the golf course. Manning too has a full schedule of off-field commitments during the offseason, yet has a sterling reputation for his near-obsessive study habits and practice routine.

“I don’t think that I do any more than any quarterback should. I get asked, ‘How much film do you watch?’ I’ve never logged hours. I’ve always watched enough to get myself ready to play,” Manning said. “The cerebral part of the game has always been something where I had to get my edge. I really study the opponent, study myself, study my own players, my own routes.”

Romo will have plenty of time now to study game film. The Cowboys announced Tuesday that Romo will be unable to participate in any on-field work during organized team activities after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst on his back. Romo, who signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million in March, might be able to participate in the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp in June.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

Defensive back Charles Woodson signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday evening to return to the team that drafted him No. 4 overall in 1998.

Woodson, who spent the past seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, spent the first eight years of his career in Oakland, and now it appears likely he will end his career there, as well.

According to Woodson’s agent, Carl Poston, Woodson’s contract is worth up to $4.3 million and includes a $700,000 signing bonus.

Woodson visited the Denver Broncos last week but left without a deal. On Tuesday he arrived in Alameda, and Raiders’ general manager Reggie McKenzie, who was previously with the Packers, didn’t allow Woodson to leave empty handed.

Raiders fans might have helped Woodson make up his mind. When Woodson arrived at the team facility, he was met by at least 100 fans who cheered and chanted his name. The Raiders posted a picture from their official Twitter account showing fans, several with Woodson’s No. 24 Raiders jersey, still waiting outside the building when Woodson signed his contract.

Woodson had previously expressed interest in signing with a contending team. The Raiders might be a long shot to make the playoffs, but perhaps personal interests outweighed an easier path to a second Super Bowl ring. Woodson owns TwentyFour Wines in Napa, where the Raiders hold training camp.

Contributing: Mike Garafolo