The Chicago Tribune is reporting that two teams have had internal discussions about trading for Bears running back Matt Forte. Forte has been tearing things up this season, while he’s in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Bears have been dragging their feet.
Forte is leading the team in both rushing and receiving, with 527 rushing yards and 381 receiving yards, and his 908 total yards is over 43 percent of their total offense.
The Bears haven’t suggested any intention of putting Forte on the trading block, and they’d be crazy to do so, but the interest is certainly out there, which may be good news for Forte.
“I’m glad teams are interested,” Forte said.
“For me to be out here working as hard as I do and not have a contract extension, you kind of get that feeling of being unappreciated. I just hope that when this year is over and I play as well as I’ve been playing, that if the Bears don’t reward me with a contract, another team will.”
Forte is making $600,000 in the last year of his contract, and the Bears have offered him something in the range of $6 million per season as part of a five year extension. It is believed that Forte wanted closer to $8 million per season, which is also about what it would cost the Bears to use their franchise tag on Forte.
Forte’s agent, Adisa Bakari, summed up his client’s perspective, “The longer they wait, the more Matt’s going to question whether he’s in their long-term plans.”
