@AdamSchefter: And now, former Colts C Jeff Saturday officially has agreed to a deal with the Green Bay Packers.

 

So much for everyone following Peyton wherever he goes

Its amazing how quick everyone turned from "Pay the man," to "shut up Forte"

 

In this case, you can say both.

So much for everyone following Peyton wherever he goes

 

I thought for sure he would sign with Denver. Packers must have tossed in some extra money or a multiple year deal.

So much for everyone following Peyton wherever he goes

I am suprised he did not go to Denver.

I thought for sure he would sign with Denver. Packers must have tossed in some extra money or a multiple year deal.

 

Thank you Packers "stock" holders

@ChicagoBearscom

#Bears RB Marion Barber has decided to retire from the NFL after 7 seasons.

@ChicagoBearscom

#Bears RB Marion Barber has decided to retire from the NFL after 7 seasons.

 

No comment yet from Matt Forte

No comment yet from Matt Forte

 

He's only upset cause the majority of NFL teams only keep 1 RB on the roster at all times.

Albert Breer ‏ @AlbertBreer

Bears RB Marion Barber announces retirement. Covered him in Dallas. Probably one of the 10 strangest football players I've ever been around.

@ChicagoBearscom

#Bears RB Marion Barber has decided to retire from the NFL after 7 seasons.

Wow. That certainly saves the Bears some cash. SPEND IT.

Adam Schefter ‏ @AdamSchefter

Denver reached agreement on a three-year, $9 million deal with former Colt Jacob Tamme, who will be reunited with Broncos Peyton Manning.

 

 

Albert Breer ‏ @AlbertBreer

Bears RB Marion Barber announces retirement. Covered him in Dallas. Probably one of the 10 strangest football players I've ever been around.

 

You'd think someone would have picked him up as a back up. He could have made a few more millions I would think. Take way the boneheaded plays last year in the Broncos game and he wasn't all that bad.

You'd think someone would have picked him up as a back up. He could have made a few more millions I would think. Take way the boneheaded plays last year in the Broncos game and he wasn't all that bad.

 

What a fall from grace he has been. He was pretty damn solid with the Cowboys not too many years ago.

Albert Breer ‏ @AlbertBreer

Bears RB Marion Barber announces retirement. Covered him in Dallas. Probably one of the 10 strangest football players I've ever been around.

 

Really? How come?

Really? How come?

You realize you aren't actually replying to that guy, right? You need to get on a website called Twitter for that.

You realize you aren't actually replying to that guy, right? You need to get on a website called Twitter for that.

 

The internets is strangeness

NFL players b**** so much about the franchise tag, yet their players union agrees to it every time. If it's such a big deal, make it a sticking point next CBA negotiations.

I don't understand this either. Players hate it so much but every time it comes time to do a new CBA, they agree to it, actually they don't even try to negotiate it out.

Marion the Barbarian was probably my favourite NFL player of the last decade, when he was in his prime with the Cowboys he would run over and just stiff arm defenders with the best of them.

 

Shows you how short the career of a Power Running Back in the NFL can be today though if that's all you have.

I don't understand this either. Players hate it so much but every time it comes time to do a new CBA, they agree to it, actually they don't even try to negotiate it out.

 

They were already lining up to get f***ed hard on everything else, they probably know it's a lost cause.

Marion the Barbarian was probably my favourite NFL player of the last decade, when he was in his prime with the Cowboys he would run over and just stiff arm defenders with the best of them.

 

Shows you how short the career of a Power Running Back in the NFL can be today though if that's all you have.

 

I liked Marion but favorite player? lol, what made you like him so much?

I liked Marion but favorite player? lol, what made you like him so much?

He was the American Football version of Jacko.

You'd think someone would have picked him up as a back up. He could have made a few more millions I would think. Take way the boneheaded plays last year in the Broncos game and he wasn't all that bad.

I'm sure if he wanted to keep playing he could have found a job, but honestly, he's spent a whole lot of time in rehab the last couple years. That can't be pleasant.

PSA: Robbie Gould on FitzDogRadio podcast for some reason, pretty good.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...0,7001929.story

 

Bears wide receiver/kick returner Johnny Knox, who continues to slowly recover from December spinal fusion surgery, is scheduled to start the regular season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, according to multiple sources familiar with Knox's progress.

 

It has long been speculated Knox wouldn't be ready for the start of the season considering the severity of his injury. He was forced to wear a back brace after the surgery and continues to walk with a limp now. But there was more structural damage than initially anticipated, according to one source.

 

Knox could not be reached for comment.

 

There is a strong chance Knox won't play in 2012, but placing him on the PUP list would leave open a return to the field if Knox's recovery is accelerated. He would have to sit out the first six weeks of the regular season once designated to the PUP list.

 

For now, training camp looks like more time for Knox to continue to put in the hard work to recover from an injury he initially feared would paralyze him.

 

Knox took to Twitter in February to update his status to fans. He said he needed to wear the back brace until mid-March.

 

When one fan asked specifically about returning for the season, Knox tweeted, "I'm focusing on getting 100% first."

 

Srdjan Mirkovic, the Bears' spine consultant and certified orthopedic surgeon on staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, performed the one-level vertebral fusion on Knox. The initial outlook for Knox was three to four months of recovery just to walk normally again, but the discovery of the structural damage affected the timetable. Knox will not need a follow-up procedure at this time.

 

Alex Ghanayem, a spine surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center, told the Tribune immediately after Knox's injury that a six-month window would be the optimistic minimum before a player could return to football-related contact after sustaining such an injury.

 

Knox finished last season with an average of 19.6 yards per catch, second-best in the NFL. He caught 37 passes for 727 yards with two touchdowns despite not being a favorite in then-offensive coordinator Mike Martz's offense. Knox also returned 15 kickoffs for 397 yards with an average of 26.5 yards per return.

 

The Bears are well-prepared to move on without Knox in the passing game after the addition of three-time Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall as a vertical threat. New offensive coordinator Mike Tice plans to utilize Devin Hester more on offense as well, and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates also has raved about Hester's potential in the revamped offense.

 

Eric Weems was signed to help handle the kick-return duties in place of Knox. Hester isn't expected to play a significant role on kickoff returns but will remain as the primary punt returner.

 

Knox, a former fifth-round pick, is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has a base salary of $1.26 million in 2012. The one-time Pro Bowl pick was offered a four-year contract worth $4 million per season prior to the injury but did not accept the offer.

 

According to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, any player placed on a PUP list will be paid his full salary while on the list.

 

vxmcclure@tribune.com

Knox returning to merely walking again is a small miracle. People counting on him on the field are fooling themselves. He was bent like a pretzel