Emma: Matt Forte Aims To Remain The Bears' Rock
By Chris Emma--
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Nothing appeared out of the ordinary as Bears running back Matt Forte walked off the practice field Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall.
There have been no signs of decline from Forte, nor any concerns that his 29-year-old body is nearing a breakdown. But general manager Ryan Pace and the Bears' front office know the realities that exist regarding a running back's shelf life. The age of 30 often marks clear decline for the position. With that, Forte enters the final year of his deal in Chicago knowing it could be the last.
Forte is out to prove a short shelf life doesn't apply to him. What's been on display this preseason?
"Same thing you see from Matt Forte every single year," Bears tight end Martellus Bennett said. "Just a guy who constantly shows up."
Now in his eighth season with Chicago, Forte's coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,038 yards on 3.9 yards per carry and set an NFL record for running backs with 102 receptions. Each statistic seems to serve as an indictment to the previous regime and its inability to establish Forte.
With Adam Gase leading the Bears' offense now, a commitment to balance -- and, of course, utilizing Forte -- can be expected.
"I'm eager for this season either way around," Forte said. "I produce a lot every year. (I want to) continue to be consistent. Just always continue to be among the top of the league in whatever I'm doing."
What the Bears have in Forte is a constant professional. He works extraordinarily hard to stay in premier shape, and it has shown throughout his career. Forte has missed just five games in seven seasons, a daunting task for any running back. This comes in part from good fortunes -- injuries are unavoidable, especially when touching the ball so often -- but it's also a credit to Forte's conditioning.
Now in his first year of coaching in the professional ranks, Bears running backs coach Stan Drayton has taken notice of Forte's tremendous demeanor.
"Just the mindset he has, the way he prepares every day, it's special," Drayton said. "It's special."
Plenty has changed for the Bears since Forte was selected out of Tulane during the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Chicago just welcomed its third coach, John Fox, and Gase is its fifth offensive coordinator in that span. In and out have come countless pieces to the offense, too.
In Forte, the Bears have a constant.
"A lot of times, you could have a guy who could be a roller coaster," Bennett said. "Matt's just a well-paved, straight-line road."
Forte's desire is to stay in Chicago, but that's not his decision to make. Pace and the new Bears brass know their running back's game, his reputation and have heard the constant voices of support from Bears personnel. But Pace must weigh how many high-level years Forte has left in his body.
Perhaps there's nothing more Forte can prove, and Pace parts in a different direction. Forte wants to be a career Bear but could move on to the next stop. None of that lingers on his mind right now, entering an important few months ahead.
This 2015 season could well be Forte's last in Chicago, but he's attacking it with that same hunger that's driven him to great success.
"I love playing football," Forte said. "There wouldn't be any other way. If I wasn't happy about this season, I wouldn't play football."
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.