Matt Forte Grateful For Fond Memories, Special Place In Bears History
By Chris Emma—
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Decades down the road, Matt Forte's name will live among the greats like Walter Payton and Gale Sayers.
Purely speaking off statistics, Forte's one of the greatest Bears of all time. His 8,526 rushing yards are second to only Payton, and his 63 touchdowns rank among some of the franchise's greatest players. Factor in his indelible impact over eight seasons, and he will be remembered fondly.
With Sunday possibly marking his final game in Chicago, perspective isn't lost on Forte.
"One of my goals coming in was obviously to step up as a running back and be mentioned among the names like those guys," Forte said. "Obviously, they're in the Hall of Fame, and I got a long way to go before I get there, but just to be mentioned among those guys' names and just to look back say that I'm in the record books among them, that means a lot to me."
Sunday brings the final game of Forte's contract and perhaps his last time taking to Soldier Field in a Bears uniform. Contract talks with Bears general manager Ryan Pace didn't go too far last offseason, and Forte has a realistic outlook. He hopes to play at least two more seasons, even suggesting he may be willing to take a discount in order to stay with the Bears.
Now 30 years old, Forte has proved he hasn't lost a step. He has 822 rushing yards and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry, along with 41 receptions on the season. His only missed time came after a freak MCL sprain, one that he returned from after only missing three games.
"He's a rare breed of running back," Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase said.
Still, Forte's future is largely uncertain entering Sunday's season finale, and he's prepared for what could be to come.
In 2008, Forte was drafted out of Tulane in the second round. He joined a Bears core that included Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and some of the franchise's great players.
"A lot of those tough defenses that we had, I got to play against," Forte said. "They were able to help shape my career as a running back, by playing against them and learning that way. I can only look back and smile the whole time."
The Bears are eliminated from playoff contention, looking to take down the Lions and finish with a 7-9 record, building for the future. It seems as if the Bears' future won't include Forte, though. Chicago has options in rookie Jeremy Langford and second-year back Ka'Deem Carey, both of whom have offered promise for the backfield.
Perhaps one of the greatest credits to Forte is the manner of professionalism in which he handled a tough situation. Rather than fighting against change, he took the young running backs under his wing.
"I was truly blessed to be in a situation playing behind a player like that who really helped me out a lot, as a veteran player who's been doing it for a long time," Langford said of Forte. "I feel like I'm really blessed. I can't explain how happy I am to be here."
When Forte takes the field on Sunday, he won't be overly emotional – or so he says. But after eight years, countless teammates and even more memories, further reflection would only be natural.
Forte will go down as one of the all-time great Bears. Whatever the future holds remains to be seen, but his place in franchise history will live on for decades.
"I've enjoyed my time here," Forte said. "I've been blessed to play as long as I have played here – for the last eight years, I've been blessed."
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
