Neal Anderson doesn’t know if he will be coming or going after this season.
In the final year of his $1.6 million contract, the Bears’ 29-year-old running back understands the business aspect of pro football.
“It is going to come up soon, so I have thought about it,” he said Thursday as the Bears prepared for Sunday’s game at Kansas City.
“I would like to play maybe a couple more years. That would be a total of 10 years. And I would love to finish my career in Chicago. I have a house and friends here, and I know the system here; the coaching staff is doing some positive things. But if it doesn’t work out, I will explore other options around the league.
“And if that doesn’t work out, I have made good money for eight years, and I won’t have to play football after this year.”
Anderson, who missed the preseason with a hamstring injury, says he’s healthy and confident.
“It feels great. I thank God for that. I had a problem with the hamstring on and off for two years. Even when it wasn’t hurting bad, I would still feel it. You could tell it had been pulled the last two years. But now I can’t tell anything happened to it.”
For the last two seasons, Anderson has been criticized as his production declined. Some critics thought he should have played during the preseason instead of resting his hamstring.
“I heard a lot of things from different people, listening to radio shows, whatever,” said Anderson, the Bears’ second all-time leading rusher with 6,065 yards. “But I found I had to be smart enough to wait until it was ready. When it got sore, I would stop. When I thought it was 100 percent, I went back out there. It paid off.”
Anderson will start Sunday but share playing time with Tim Worley against the Chiefs.
“We are trying to utilize everybody-myself, Tim Worley and Robert Green-this week,” said Anderson. “We have guys who have different talents. We have a lot of speed we can use.”
At the end of this season, Anderson is counting on coach Dave Wannstedt and the rest of the staff to level with him.
“I think they will be honest, because that is one of the big things (Wannstedt) has been here. He has been very upfront with me, and I think if I did not fit into his plans for next year, they would let me know. I would have no hard feelings at all.”
Anderson does not want to end his career like Eric Dickerson, who was cut by the Falcons and Packers this year.
“You want to go out and think you are still playing OK. You don’t want to get pushed out. Hopefully, I would be smart enough to recognize when my skills started to deteriorate.”
Anderson, a first-round pick from Florida in 1986, arrived in the shadow of Walter Payton.
“I have never played football for recognition. I love to be out of the limelight, sitting in the corner or being out on the golf course.
“Fans are going to be fans. My first year or two, I would look at some newspapers and listen to certain radio stations and people would say, `Get Walter out of there. Put Neal in.’
“Walter Payton was the greatest running back to play the game, and he had some negative things written and said about him. So I know I am not above that. I expect it, but I can handle it.”
If he doesn’t fit into the Bears’ future, Anderson will be auditioning for a new job in the final seven games this season . . . “when teams look at films and think about players they want to sign through free agency.
“I would like to get something done here. If not, you have to look at all the golf courses around the league. Sometimes you can get a player who does almost the same thing but makes a lot less money.”
