Matt Forte trade seems unlikely
With the Chicago Bears in rebuilding mode, rumors have begun to swirl about the team possibly trading star running back Matt Forte, if the right deal comes along. Forte is one of the most productive backs in the league and has been a workhorse for the Bears for years. Forte will become a free agent after this season.
The Bears are rumored to wanting a second or early third round pick in return for Forte, although general manager Ryan Pace hasn’t called anyone in the league declaring Forte is available. Forte is owed $7 million this year and that will hurt the Bears chances of trading him, since teams won’t want to take on that kind of contract in the middle of the season.
Since Forte becomes a free agent after the season, it is unlikely a team will trade anything of value for him, knowing that he could just leave after the season. A short-term rental is not an ideal situation in the NFL. On the flip side, a team that is going all in for the season and believes Forte is the missing piece to a championship might trade something of value to the Bears.
The Bears should only trade him if they can get some high draft picks in return, and use those picks to improve the overall team.
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Pace and his new staff are eager to reshape this roster and get younger on both sides of the ball. Forte will be 30 next season, and in football years, that’s the age where running backs begin to decline and are considered “old”.
Forte has shown no signs of decline, as last season he set the NFL record for most receptions by a running back, and is off to a strong start on the ground this season.
The Bears will have trouble finding the right offer for Forte in the trade market because of the mileage he has on his legs and his age, but taking phone calls from other teams to see what the market is like, is something Pace and his staff will surely do.
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It is highly unlikely the Bears trade Forte as he remains a big part of the offense and is a consistent play maker. His long-term future however is up in the air.
If Forte wants to stay in Chicago beyond this season, he will have to swallow his pride and lower his price demand. He’s a great versatile player, and is one of the best running backs in Chicago Bears history, but this team is now building for the future, and getting younger is the most sensible thing to do.
His age along with the hits he’s taken over the years have lowered his value and he needs to realize that.
The Bears back up running back is rookie Jeremy Langford and he’s played sparingly behind Forte. He needs more reps so that the coaching staff can see if he’s qualified to be the lead back, if Forte is gone next season.
Keeping Forte on a team friendly contract however is not a bad option either, because players like Matt Forte don’t come along everyday. His work ethic and production can’t be denied and it is unfortunate the Bears haven’t had a championship team around him.
The trade deadline is November 3, so if there are teams interested in Forte, they will be calling the Bears over the next few weeks. Unless Pace finds a deal that he feels is too good to pass up, Forte most likely remains on the roster and will have to negotiate a new contract after the season.