Running back Matt Forte, who is on pace to break team records, isn’t feeling the love from the Bears and he’s starting to wonder if his durability is being taken for granted. ‘‘The running back position is the most physically demanding on the field,’’ Forte said Tuesday. ‘‘Everyone acknowledges that. So to continue to give me the touches I’ve had since my rookie year but not award me a long-term contract sends the message that you’re OK grinding me into a pulp.’’ Forte hasn’t missed a game since being taken in the second round of the 2008 draft, playing through an assortment of injuries, particularly in 2009, but he rebounded in 2010 and leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage this season with 1,091, and as the Bears approach the midway point of their season, Forte’s frustration toward the front office is palpable. Asked if the lack of a contract extension affects his desire to stay with the franchise, Forte said: ‘‘It does a little bit. I love the team, I love my teammates, I love the coaches and I love Chicago. But when management messes with you like that, it puts you in the mind frame of wanting to go to a team that desires you. You’re not going to be happy, let’s say that.’’ Forte is making $600,000 this season, the league minimum for an NFL player with his experience, as the final installment of his four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract. General manager Jerry Angelo made a contract extension for Forte a priority during training camp, but the Bears’ best offer was thought to be about $6 million a year, with $13 million to $14 million guaranteed. The Bears can keep Forte for next season by putting the franchise tag on him, but Forte insisted that’s not a solution. ‘‘If they think by just slapping the franchise tag on me that’s going to silence anything, they’re sadly mistaken,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s not going to cure everything. It’s not a solution, I would say.’’ Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Yea its bad. Theyre wearing him out while hes cheap and hoping that when the time comes to pay him he'll be broken down.
Johnson and Forte really shouldn't be put in the same sentence. lol... Forte is pretty much the opposite of Johnson when it comes to almost everything...
He's a good player. And he is having easily the best year of his career (coincidence? c'mon now). And he is worth more than 6 mil a year. I wonder if his demands are too high...
I'm a little torn on this one. Yes, the Bears are historically a cheap organization. His true worth is probably closer to $10 mill a season with $25 mill guaranteed so the Bears haven't exactly offered a fair contract. However, they're not exactly 'grinding him to a pulp'. In fact, his touches were reduced each year in his first 3 seasons and they've just started working him more this year (possibly knowing that they could lose him). The fact is, Forte signed a contract agreeing to play in this league under the terms set forth by the labor agreement, so he may have to wait before getting another contract. He could fake an injury if he's that concerned about his touches but then that would cost him some money in his next contract.
