BOURBONNAIS — It didn’t come down to money for Olin Kreutz
It was a feel he had that it was time for him to leave the Chicago Bears. That is why the 13-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowl performer turned down an ultimatum he was given by general manager Jerry Angelo on Saturday when presented with a $4 million, one-year offer. Kreutz was asked to give his decision in an hour.
Now, Kreutz tells the [Chicago] Tribune he might not ever play again. He could hang ’em up because he isn’t convinced he wants to move and play elsewhere and physically he feels excellent right now. He’d like to be able to walk away from the game in good shape.
“That is a decision I am still making. I am sure I will have an opportunity,” Kreutz said Sunday night. “I am just not sure if I want to play for anyone else. Retirement is definitely an option.”
Kreutz didn’t want to turn the situation into an adversarial one between himself and Angelo.
“Jerry has been good to me too. He’s given me a lot of money and I’ve been there a long time,” Kreutz said. “It felt like maybe it was time to move on. I just got that feeling. If I was right, if I was wrong, if the offer was fair. I have enough money. So the offer wasn’t a big hurdle for me. It was a feel I had, just maybe they wanted to move on no matter what the offer was.
“At this point in my career, the offer of money is not a big deal to me. It’s just a feel I had. I don’t want to taint anyone. Both sides have won since I’ve been here. I’ve won. They’ve treated me good. They’ve given me everything I’ve asked for and I think I’ve played my ass off for them.”
Source: Chicago Tribune (By Brad Biggs)