Running back Matt Forte’s time with the Chicago Bears appears to be finally over with the emergence of Jeremy Langford, who is in line to become the Bears feature back for years to come, which is why Forte is approaching his impending free agency with a realistic outlook. With that being said, the veteran running back would like nothing more than to spend his remaining years with a premier team.
“It’s not even about the money,” Forte said on NFL Network’s “Super Bowl Live”. ” I want to be in the Super Bowls.”
January 4, was the last time Matt Forte met with the Bears general manager, Ryan Pace. Pace told Forte that he would evaluate the roster, than make a decision about his future and then let him know.
“I haven’t been called yet,” Forte said this past Thursday, “so I guess they don’t know what they’re going to do yet.”
For Forte, who would actually like to stay in Chicago, this can’t be encouraging. However, the veteran running back refuses to look at this situation as bad news. He did say he was eagerly waiting for free agency in March.
“That’s all I get on Twitter — ‘Please don’t leave us’,” he said. “I’m like, ‘That’s not my decision. Tell the Bears that. They’re the ones that hold the cards, really.”
Forte just wrapped up a four-year, $30 million contract with the Bears, and said there’s a ton to consider when you’re evaluating potential future employers.
“The contract is only a small part of it,” said Forte at a Sports Illustrated event Thursday. “You gotta consider the team – more specifically the quarterback that’s there. They have a good O-Line? I also gotta consider the best place for my family to be.”
Turns out that Matt Forte is no stranger to waiting either.
“You gotta wait to get drafted,” he said. “Once you get drafted you wait to get the next big contract. Then you gotta wait for that. I got franchise (tagged) and I had to wait for that.
“Now you produce in your second contract and you wait for free agency. “
Matt Forte, 30, is at an age where the majority of running backs begin to decline in productivity. Forte on the other hand, could end up being the best all-purpose back on the market. He’s also implied that he’d take less money to join a Super Bowl contender.
Main Photo:
CHICAGO, IL- JANUARY 03: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears shakes hands with the fans after the game against the Detroit Lions on January 3, 2016 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Lions won 24-20. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
