Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has slammed his former franchise for their negotiations, saying that it was "an ultimatum" instead.

Urlacher said at the end of January that he would have taken a pay-cut to stay with the Bears, but has now left them having been offered a one-year, £1.3m contract only.

"It wasn't even an offer, it was an ultimatum," Urlacher told the Chicago Tribune. "I feel like I'm a decent football player still. It was insulting, somewhat of a slap in the face.

"They came back with the offer and said, 'this is what it is, take it or leave it'. It was, 'If you want to play for the Bears, you'll play for this. If not, then you're not playing for the Bears.'"

"This whole off-season I had a bad feeling about this situation anyway. I just wish they would have said, 'We don't want you back'. I think this whole thing is just about them saving face and trying to say that they made a run at me."

Urlacher has played his entire career, currently 12 seasons, at the Bears.