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Chicago Bears Don’t Have To Keep Matt Forte, But They Should

By Erik Lambert

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Oct 18, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Listen, it’s understood that the NFL is a business and a lot of people will say it isn’t wise to let emotions and sympathy cloud business decisions.  That’s fair since doing so can often lead to bad results.  However, there are certain cases where an exception can and should be made.

The Chicago Bears are faced with one regarding Matt Forte.  Before explaining why, the situation is understood.  He’s a running back, and that position group tends to burn out fast.  Forte will be 30-years old in December, and that’s the equivalent to being almost being 40 at most other positions.  Things just stop working like they should.  History doesn’t lie.  It’s happened to a lot of great players.

That being said, Forte can be considered an exception.  His value is not in the traditional running back sense.  He makes his plays both as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.  His training regimen is among the best in the NFL, as he hasn’t missed a single game in four years.  On top of all that, he is the last man standing from one of the darkest eras of Bears drafting in recent memory between 2007 and 2011.

Despite so many changes to the offensive scheme, the coaching staffs and the front office he has kept chugging along, doing everything he can to make this team better.  After watching other greats like Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs get shown door and not being allowed to go out on their terms, isn’t it the right message to send by letting Forte do that?

Sure, him demanding too much money could be a problem but given his ongoing productivity and the fact the Bears will have loads of cap space in 2016, the conditions are favorable for them to do the right thing and keep their old warhorse on the field for another couple seasons.

It would make him happy.

It would make the fans happy.

And based on history, it will make the team happy on Sundays.

Next: Chicago Bears: 7 Takeaways Going Into Bye Week

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