On Wednesday morning, New York Jets running back Matt Forte announced his retirement from the NFL on Twitter. The announcement marks the end of a 10-year career for Forte.
https://t.co/DqIf5X7zIu pic.twitter.com/4PzGZNNdgM
— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) February 28, 2018
Matt Forte Announces Retirement
Forte’s announcement may not come as a surprise to many. The 32-year old running back has faced a number of injuries over the last few years. In his last two seasons with the Jets, Forte failed to complete a 16-game season. In 2016, Forte was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury in late December after sharing touches with Bilal Powell for the majority of the season. When he returned in 2017, he played only three games before being sidelined with a toe injury. He was again placed on injured reserve late in the season after playing through a knee injury for most of the season.
Forte spent eight of his ten years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears after being drafted in the second round in 2008. In his rookie season, Forte rushed for eight touchdowns and set the franchise rookie record with 316 rushing attempts. He also caught 63 passes for 477 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He led all NFL rookie running backs in total yards and receptions in 2008, earning him a spot on the 2008 NFL All-Rookie Team. He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards five times in his career, all in Chicago.
When he approached free agency in 2015, Forte announced that the Bears would not re-sign him. This was later corroborated by Bears general manager Ryan Pace, who praised Forte’s contributions to the organization over the years. Forte spent the final two years of his career with the Jets, rushing for only 1,194 yards over two seasons.
He ends his career with 75 total touchdowns and 14,468 total yards. Forte was selected for participation in the Pro Bowl twice in his career, after his 2011 and 2013 seasons. He set his career highs in rushing yards (1,339) and rushing touchdowns (9) during the 2013 season. He also set the NFL record for receptions by a running back in 2014 with 104 receptions, breaking Larry Centers‘ 1995 record.
