It sure does look like one of the best players in Chicago Bears history has just two games remaining with the team that originally drafted him in the second round of the 2008 draft.
Running back Matt Forte told local reporters on Wednesday that there isn’t much hope of a new contract getting done with the Bears.
https://twitter.com/EvanWFitzgerald/status/679775053320421378
Forte, 30, is slated to become a free agent in March. Prior to the season, he sounded a bit upset over the Bears’ lack of interest in retaining him long-term:
“Nobody wants to play on a one-year deal, especially with the uncertainty of how football is,” Forte said back in May. “You just figure, a guy who’s been there since day one, has put in hard work and continues to produce, that guy should be rewarded. But it’s a business, and that doesn’t always happen.”
Months later, and it doesn’t look like the two sides have even engaged in contract talks.
Forte missed three games earlier this season with an injury, at which point rookie fourth-round pick Jeremy Langford stepped in and played pretty good football.
Teams tend to stray away from offering 30-year-old running backs much in terms of long-term security or cold-hard cash.
And while Forte tends to believe the Bears owe him something here, he also understands that football is a business more than anything else.
At this point, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Forte join a contender when free agency starts in March. What we do know is that he’s unlikely to be back with the Bears for a ninth season.
His comments on Wednesday pretty much guaranteed this.
Forte is nearing the 8,500-yard rushing mark and has tallied over 12,500 total yards in his near eight seasons with the team.