Chicago Bears: 2015 could be last season for Matt Forte

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Jul 22, 2015

Is the writing on the wall for running back Matt Forte and his tenure so far with the Chicago Bears? There is a big reason why the Bears didn’t extend the contract of Forte at any point this off season because they know that this is the final year of his contract as he’s about to turn 30 years old come December. While age isn’t everything, unfortunately due to the wear and tear that comes with being a starting running back in the NFL, the Bears are more than likely weary about extending him past this upcoming season since they already have some in-house options to replace him.

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Forte is still proving his worth by being consistent in everything he does for the Bears, regardless of his current contract situation. He’s coming off a season that saw him contribute 1,038 rushing yards on 266 carries for 6 touchdowns. He also had his best season yet receiving with 808 yards and 4 touchdowns.

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The Bears know that while this production is pretty good from one of their star running backs, they will most likely not throw a long-term, big money contract at Forte at the end of this upcoming season. Reason being, they have Jeremy Langford waiting in the wings in that depending on how he does in 2015, could eventually be Forte’s future replacement.

In the 2015 NFL Draft, the Bears used their 106th pick overall in the 4th round to select Langford who had quite an impressive collegiate career at Michigan State. In four seasons with the Spartans, he contributed 2,967 rushing yards on 577 carries for 40 touchdowns.

Considering that Forte is second best in franchise history behind the great Walter Payton for rushing yards (7,704) and receptions (443), his tenure on the Bears could most likely come to an end this year. Since the NFL is mainly a passing league with more and more teams transitioning to aerial assaults, the Bears could be the next to follow in the near future.

With the continued sub-par play of quarterback Jay Cutler, it’s only a matter of time really before the Bears decide to completely revamp their offense, including their offensive playbook. Once Cutler is eventually out of the mix, the Bears might transition to a completely new offensive system focusing on their major potential of their wide receivers.

May 27, 2015; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) walks off the field after organized team activities at the Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Since the Bears have an impressive wide receiver corps thanks to players like Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Royal and rookie Kevin White who has tremendous upside to be a future star in the making, they might soon develop a high-octane spread offense centered around them. If that is the case, it definitely makes Forte expendable since they can get similar production out of Langford and truly not miss a beat.

Ka’Deem Carey could also be a viable option in the future but at the current moment doesn’t have a complete package like Langford since he struggled last season with blocking assignments during pass protection plays. It’s something that is fixed with the right coaching and training so it’s not too concerning. If Forte is no longer a part of the picture after this season, both Langford and Carey could share the majority of playing time and yield similar results.

Overall, while it’s unfortunate his departure from the Bears could be in the cards for Forte, he can take pride that he’ll go down in franchise history as one of the best running backs to ever play for the team. If he decides to keep playing and enter next year’s free agency period, many teams could be possible suitors for him since if he continues where he picked up from last year, could be one of the top running backs hitting the open market.

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