I received an email from a WCG reader to this post on PFT:
A two-time Pro Bowler, Briggs is playing this season on the one-year franchise tender he signed this summer. As part of that deal, the Bears agreed not to place the franchise tag on him again in 2008, meaning he would have become an unrestricted free agent this off-season.
But this deal means the 26-year-old Briggs will remain in Chicago for the prime years of his career.
Details of the deal were not available.
Since then they have posted this:
We had previously heard from a league source that a deal was in place to keep the linebacker in Chicago. But now we're told that the deal isn't done.
The back and forth is actually common when working on big contracts, but the thing to take from this is that Briggs, Rosenhaus and the Bears are at the table and actively working towards a deal. Briggs has arguably been our best defensive player this year and on a team that is having issues on that side of the ball and our middle linebacker either in decline or just not able to shake a back injury Briggs becomes an important sign for us.