For years now, it seemed as if running back Matt Forte’s time with the Chicago Bears was limited, but nothing ever happened except for him staying put. Well, as the time is approaching for him to be a free agent, it does seem as if their relationship will finally end. Forte has said the Bears will likely not re-sign him, and there are already rumors that he could land with the Dallas Cowboys .
As reported by ESPN , the second-most-productive running back in the history of the Chicago Bears franchise will not be with the team next season. Even though he wishes to stay, the Bears are not likely to re-sign him once he lands in the free agent pool as Forte revealed in an Instagram post.
“Despite my wishes, my days as a member of the Chicago Bears have sadly come to an end. I was informed earlier this week from the GM that they will not be attempting to re-sign me in free agency.”
“I will remain forever grateful for my time spent in Chicago and being able to play for an organization with such a rich history. My only regret is not being able to win a Lombardi trophy for the best fans in all of sports. I’m excited about the next chapter of my NFL career. But, Chicago will always be home.”
Many times, it’s not totally confirmed when a player comes out and says something like that on social media. As always, one thinks that things can change, but the Chicago Bears quickly confirmed what Forte had said.
Join us in thanking one of the all-time #Bears greats, @MattForte22 . #ThankYou22 pic.twitter.com/3H8TpIyl8K
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) February 12, 2016
It’s almost as if they just had that prepared and ready to go.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace said that the team met with Matt Forte to let him know the team would not be offering him a contract for next season. Yes, his numbers weren’t great in 2015 and he did miss three games, but he’s still got the career numbers to prove his worth.
Forte finishes his eight-year career in Chicago with 8,602 yards and 45 touchdowns on the ground. On top of that, he has 4,116 yards receiving and another 19 touchdowns to add to it all. He’s certainly still got it, and he can now offer up those skills and numbers to another team in the NFL.
The big question is – Where does Matt Forte go now?
NFL has revealed their list of teams that they believe are the best matches for the running back, and the Dallas Cowboys are third on the list. After a 2015 season that was a running back carousel before landing with Darren McFadden, it wouldn’t hurt to have a talent like Forte in Dallas.
Bringing in Forte could end up backfiring for the Cowboys though. Forte has dealt with a number of injuries throughout his career and while he’s not as bad as McFadden, it’s still a risk. The thing about Forte though is that he is great out of the backfield in the passing game and could add a huge compliment to their air attack.
So far this offseason, the Cowboys have already been linked to Marshawn Lynch and DeMarco Murray in rumors. Lynch is likely to retire from the NFL and Murray is still under contract with the Philadelphia Eagles so it would take a trade to make that happen.
Matt Forte is definitely going to be a free agent and it would simply be a matter of the Dallas Cowboys offering him the best contract. The Chicago Bears are going in a different direction at running back, and it could end up benefiting the Cowboys more than anything.
[Image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]