Matt Forte, 4 years, $32 million

[Superman]

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/8170553/matt-forte-chicago-bears-agree-4-year-32m-contract-source-says

I haven't seen anything about the structure of the deal yet (guaranteed money, signing bonus, cap hits), but this is a reasonable deal for a top level running back. Certainly better than the Adrian Peterson deal or the Chris Johnson deal. About on par with the Arian Foster deal in terms of average/year.

Take another player off your 2013 free agent wish list.

[21isSuperman]

With their 3 headed monster of Cutler, Marshall, and Forte, they could make a splash. If their aging defense is able to hold off the strong offenses of Detroit and Green Bay, they could make a run at the Super Bowl. Good signing.

[BrentMc11]

Great signing.....also with Michael Bush. 4 heads 21st? I think we may be lucky to get the Bears game 1. They may be a serious threat barring key injuries late into the year. Is it possible Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago all make the playoffs? What a division! Poor Vikings.

[oldunclemark]

http://espn.go.com/c...act-source-says

I haven't seen anything about the structure of the deal yet (guaranteed money, signing bonus, cap hits), but this is a reasonable deal for a top level running back. Certainly better than the Adrian Peterson deal or the Chris Johnson deal. About on par with the Arian Foster deal in terms of average/year.

Take another player off your 2013 free agent wish list.

Wow..that seesm to be overpay..although I dont know the guaranteed money....

There's very little chnace Forte will produce at past levels because the Bear offense will change this year.

But its their problem......and he can stop whining

[BrentMc11]

Wow..that seesm to be overpay..although I dont know the guaranteed money....

There's very little chnace Forte will produce at past levels because the Bear offense will change this year.

But its their problem......and he can stop whining

I don't consider Forte a whiner, I consider him a player that felt owed what lesser backs than he were making. You may have read a 'whining story.' If so, please color me wrong.

I totally agree this offense is a changed one. Mad Martz is gone and here is Mike Tice. Loves the run and obviously the TE. I envision 3 step drops instead of 7, and a dose of play action as well as delayed draws. That IS Mike Tice in a nutshell vs. Mike 'mad-man' Martz.

Not disputing the 'whiner comment.' I know the media did it for him. As I say above I am glad we have them in game one.

Edited July 16, 2012 by BrentMc11

[Superman]

With their 3 headed monster of Cutler, Marshall, and Forte, they could make a splash. If their aging defense is able to hold off the strong offenses of Detroit and Green Bay, they could make a run at the Super Bowl. Good signing.

I like their offense. Cutler and Marshall reunited is a good move, especially since the Bears have been light on receivers for years. And Forte is one of the best backs in the league. They still have questions at offensive line, but I think their offense will be pretty good.

[mvbighead]

Wow..that seesm to be overpay..although I dont know the guaranteed money....

There's very little chnace Forte will produce at past levels because the Bear offense will change this year.

But its their problem......and he can stop whining

Lol, overpay? That's peanuts compared to the other guys. It's a win for both sides really. That small of a deal means less guaranteed money, and the Bears can't likely step away from that deal in a year or two with little financial impact on their team.

Forte gets paid an amount he is apparently happy with, and no more squables about contracts. I'd say both sides did well here.

As for his production, most successful offenses are able to pass AND run. Each one helps the other. If teams are trying to prevent the pass, you're likely to be more successful running. If teams stack the box, you're likely to be more successful passing. That showed throw last season when the bears lost Forte. If they can keep all of their pieces healthy, they should have a pretty potent offense.

[Superman]

Wow..that seesm to be overpay..although I dont know the guaranteed money....

There's very little chnace Forte will produce at past levels because the Bear offense will change this year.

But its their problem......and he can stop whining

The yearly average is right on, considering what other top backs are getting. I don't think running backs are worth $8 million a year, not with the way the NFL is going, but Forte is top five. I'm sure the guaranteed money isn't too out of control. Still haven't seen any breakdown of the contract.

However, as Brent mentions, the changing of the offense is likely to change the way Forte produces, but not to make him less effective. He might not have 50 receptions a year anymore, but his rushing yards and touchdowns are likely to go up.

I also haven't seen any whining from him. He wanted a long-term contract. Is there something wrong with that?

[oldunclemark]

The yearly average is right on, considering what other top backs are getting. I don't think running backs are worth $8 million a year, not with the way the NFL is going, but Forte is top five. I'm sure the guaranteed money isn't too out of control. Still haven't seen any breakdown of the contract.

However, as Brent mentions, the changing of the offense is likely to change the way Forte produces, but not to make him less effective. He might not have 50 receptions a year anymore, but his rushing yards and touchdowns are likely to go up.

I also haven't seen any whining from him. He wanted a long-term contract. Is there something wrong with that?

You have missed it. He whined and cried..He was offered 20 mil years ago and caled it an insult...

the Baers were cheating him..the nFL chearts its players....

..I did my job and this ($20 mil) is what i Get???

the poor old pitiful me act..

he's in the top 5 of a position that is a dinosaur in the NFL....He will not approach last year's numbers because the Bears style of play will change with coaching changes this year....and the league doenst use RBs as muhc as they did even 10 years ago.

If he got what he wanted....his act worked..hurry to the bank.....but, to me, it shows his character

[21isSuperman]

I like their offense. Cutler and Marshall reunited is a good move, especially since the Bears have been light on receivers for years. And Forte is one of the best backs in the league. They still have questions at offensive line, but I think their offense will be pretty good.

I agree. And with the porous defense in the NFC North, they could put up big numbers. And Marshall has the potential to become the best receiver in Chicago Bears history; they've been light on receivers their entire existence. Their franchise record for 100+ yard games for a receiver is 7 in a season, their franchise record for receptions in a season is 100, their franchise record for TD receptions in a season is 13, and their franchise record for most yards in a season is 1400. Those are some solid numbers, but I could see Marshall breaking all of those and a number of the career records they have too.

[Nobody]

If I were Forte, I wouldn't let the greedy Bears keep me.

[BrentMc11]

You have missed it. He whined and cried..He was offered 20 mil years ago and caled it an insult...

the Baers were cheating him..the nFL chearts its players....

..I did my job and this ($20 mil) is what i Get???

the poor old pitiful me act..

he's in the top 5 of a position that is a dinosaur in the NFL....He will not approach last year's numbers because the Bears style of play will change with coaching changes this year....and the league doenst use RBs as muhc as they did even 10 years ago.

If he got what he wanted....his act worked..hurry to the bank.....but, to me, it shows his character

I still did not see Mark. I will not dispute...I just envision every analyst doing the whining for him....Collinsworth was the worst....we can go on and on.

Forte had been quiet saying in an interview "I will let my play speak for itself."

He is refreshing compared to some of our wide receiver friends over the years....I am glad he got paid.....and I am a Colt fan.

[NewColtsFan]

With Forte in the fold, and with Marshall heading the WR group.... Cutler may actually be a very good quarterback for a full season....

Not a Cutler fan, but the man is not without some serious talent. Now, if he can just learn how to use it properly....

OK, we'll see....

[oldunclemark]

I still did not see Mark. I will not dispute...I just envision every analyst doing the whining for him....Collinsworth was the worst....we can go on and on.

Forte had been quiet saying in an interview "I will let my play speak for itself."

He is refreshing compared to some of our wide receiver friends over the years....I am glad he got paid.....and I am a Colt fan.

I'm in the Chicago area..and Matt has been quoted constantly on how unfair the NFL is and the Bears are.

I guess its what you hear. I dont like people who lie to get what they want.

But its all about the money...so he's a winner at the bank

[BrentMc11]

I'm in the Chicago area..and Matt has been quoted constantly on how unfair the NFL is and the Bears are.

I guess its what you hear. I dont like people who lie to get what they want.

But its all about the money...so he's a winner at the bank

You hear it first hand up there. Just heard.."Forte wanted more" on ESPN News but did not want to hold out. Ditka feels at 26 he has plenty left barring further injuries." Thanks for the the reply!! BTW...out of likes for the day...no idea how. I do not like anything. HA HA!

[Jay Kirk]

My concern being a Bears fan 2nd to the Colts of course,is Forte allready having a knee injury,is this too much for to long?He is deffinatley worth it if he stays healthy

[The Peytonator]

I'm thinking the Bears are in the playoffs next year. They just need to stay healthy.

[Nobody]

I'm in the Chicago area..and Matt has been quoted constantly on how unfair the NFL is and the Bears are.

I guess its what you hear. I dont like people who lie to get what they want.

But its all about the money...so he's a winner at the bank

How did he lie? The Bears don't deserve him. He's hardly a whiner. He was barely getting paid. He wanted what he deserves. People who want way more than their worth are greedy whiners (Brees and Revis) he was in the right.

[Andy]

Reasonable deal, nothing crazy, but nothing too small. That's the right deal.

Those Bears are going to be one of the best teams in football, I think they can even go to the SB.

[Superman]

You have missed it. He whined and cried..He was offered 20 mil years ago and caled it an insult...

the Baers were cheating him..the nFL chearts its players....

..I did my job and this ($20 mil) is what i Get???

the poor old pitiful me act..

he's in the top 5 of a position that is a dinosaur in the NFL....He will not approach last year's numbers because the Bears style of play will change with coaching changes this year....and the league doenst use RBs as muhc as they did even 10 years ago.

If he got what he wanted....his act worked..hurry to the bank.....but, to me, it shows his character

1) Mike Tice figures to run the ball more, not less. I don't think running backs are as important as they used to be, but there's a difference between a good running back and a great running back. Forte's ability makes him closer to great than good.

2) He got less money than other running backs in his tier have in recent years.

3) He asked for a contract extension before last season, because he was still on a rookie deal making a fraction of what other top level backs were making. I don't know how that qualifies as whining, especially considering the fact that he showed up on time and did his job, unlike others (Chris Johnson, for instance). He was clearly underpaid, and on the last year of his deal, at a brutal position.

4) The reason he wanted an extension became quite obvious when he got hurt. He was leading the league in yards at the time, and suffered an injury that could have seriously jeopardized his career. No doubt it affected his earning potential.

5) I know the business side of football turns a lot of people off, but it's unrealistic to expect these players to just do what the teams want them to do. Forte is a good enough player that he would demand a considerable contract offer on the open market, so it's not surprising that being franchise tagged would bother him.

6) As for his character, I don't know the man, and neither do you. But his desire to have a long term contract doesn't say anything negative about his character. It says he knows he could command a real contract on the open market, and is unwilling to continue to risk his ability to get paid market value on undervalued one year contracts. Again, no hold out, no trade request, just did his job, but asked for a market value contract.

What's wrong with an athlete being paid what the market says he should be paid? Why does this make him a bad person?

[Jay Kirk]

The Bears will benifit greatly from this if he stays healthy,Over payed?Dont think so,if you look at his production when healthy,and what he does in this offense,its nescessary for the Bears to have a running game with this offense to click,not to mention hes not a bad reciever out of the backfield ,all needed to give Cuttler time to throw the ball

[Jay Kirk]

Reasonable deal, nothing crazy, but nothing too small. That's the right deal.

Those Bears are going to be one of the best teams in football, I think they can even go to the SB.

Enjoy your optimistic viewe,but thats a loaded division ,arguably the best in football

[oldunclemark]

How did he lie? The Bears don't deserve him. He's hardly a whiner. He was barely getting paid. He wanted what he deserves. People who want way more than their worth are greedy whiners (Brees and Revis) he was in the right.

he lied because he said the Bears are cheap.

they arent..

Urlacher, Briggs...Cutler and Julius Peppers all got strong cash money deals.

and stop this 'he was barely getting paid' Forte turned down a good deal ($20 mil, 13 guaranteed) 2 years ago and blew off $7 mil guaranteed for 2012.... because he wanted a chris Johnson deal

I hope he got guaranteed money is this present deal .....but I dont like liars..

....and the RB position, to me isnt worth 8 mil a year for anyone...

But again..its all about the Bejamins and, bless his little heart, he's now all world at the Savings and Loan

[oldunclemark]

1) Mike Tice figures to run the ball more, not less. I don't think running backs are as important as they used to be, but there's a difference between a good running back and a great running back. Forte's ability makes him closer to great than good.

2) He got less money than other running backs in his tier have in recent years.

3) He asked for a contract extension before last season, because he was still on a rookie deal making a fraction of what other top level backs were making. I don't know how that qualifies as whining, especially considering the fact that he showed up on time and did his job, unlike others (Chris Johnson, for instance). He was clearly underpaid, and on the last year of his deal, at a brutal position.

4) The reason he wanted an extension became quite obvious when he got hurt. He was leading the league in yards at the time, and suffered an injury that could have seriously jeopardized his career. No doubt it affected his earning potential.

5) I know the business side of football turns a lot of people off, but it's unrealistic to expect these players to just do what the teams want them to do. Forte is a good enough player that he would demand a considerable contract offer on the open market, so it's not surprising that being franchise tagged would bother him.

6) As for his character, I don't know the man, and neither do you. But his desire to have a long term contract doesn't say anything negative about his character. It says he knows he could command a real contract on the open market, and is unwilling to continue to risk his ability to get paid market value on undervalued one year contracts. Again, no hold out, no trade request, just did his job, but asked for a market value contract.

What's wrong with an athlete being paid what the market says he should be paid? Why does this make him a bad person?

Lying is bad. Shows bad character. ...Bad person was your call...

To claim the Bears are cheap would be like claiming the Colts dont pay their players. Its a lie. Its wrong.

We know its wrong.

I can make that judgement.

[oldunclemark]

Lying is bad. Shows bad character. ...Bad person was your call...

To claim the Bears are cheap would be like claiming the Colts dont pay their players. Its a lie. Its wrong.

We know its wrong.

I can make that judgement.

..and the Bears will go to a 3-step drop....Their line is weak..They'll throw more and be better at it..

[Jay Kirk]

..and the Bears will go to a 3-step drop....Their line is weak..They'll throw more and be better at it..

Im gonna have to agree to disagree on this i watch them every week,without a good running game,the drop wont make the difference IMO

[Superman]

Lying is bad. Shows bad character. ...Bad person was your call...

To claim the Bears are cheap would be like claiming the Colts dont pay their players. Its a lie. Its wrong.

We know its wrong.

I can make that judgement.

The Bears are cheap. So is every other NFL franchise. If they can get a player to play for $600k/year instead of $8 million/year, they will. And it's smart of them to do so, especially for a running back. Also, is that really that big of a deal if he did call them cheap? You're defending the Bears' honor?

That said, I don't see where Forte called the Bears cheap. Perhaps I missed it, but forgive me if I don't take your word for it.

Another thing, if "lying" shows bad character, does not holding out and not demanding a trade show good character?

..and the Bears will go to a 3-step drop....Their line is weak..They'll throw more and be better at it..

Going to a three-step drop is probably smart, considering their pass protection the past couple of years. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll throw more. Maybe they will, but considering the fact that Forte has averaged 55 catches a year in his career (on pace for 70 last season), I don't see how that makes him less effective. He's as big a dual threat as there is in the NFL. Pass heavy or run heavy, he'll be a featured part of their offense.

[Nobody]

Lying is bad. Shows bad character. ...Bad person was your call...

To claim the Bears are cheap would be like claiming the Colts dont pay their players. Its a lie. Its wrong.

We know its wrong.

I can make that judgement.

Were they not cheap with him? There isn't a team in football without a few big contracts, does that mean none are cheap? He didn't lie, he was more than reasonable. Do you have something against him? You really seem to hate him for no real reason...

[Jay Kirk]

In all honesty the biggest ? for the Bears has nothing to do with Forte or the offense.It has to do with an aging defense and theyre health

[BrentMc11]

..and the Bears will go to a 3-step drop....Their line is weak..They'll throw more and be better at it..

As I said above....in our terms here...If your line stinks... it is a rookie, a back-up...a rookie QB, a cheerleader!!!!!!!! (Insert emotincon)

I love mike Martz for creativity......I AGREE!!! Cutler will be better with 3 step drops. He got HAMMERED in 7. I will not say what QB managed this best.... Again...no likes.

[BrentMc11]

In all honesty the biggest ? for the Bears has nothing to do with Forte or the offense.It has to do with an aging defense and theyre health

Fleener on Urlacher? Who wins at this stage without a 15 yarder to say hello? !st game.....1st game! TD> Luck hit Fleener for 72!

[Jay Kirk]

Lol Urlacher cant cover Fleener,hes lost a step and a half

[TKnight24]

He was 80% of their offense. There was no way that they were gonna let him go

[Gavin]

If it werent for Forte that offense wouldnt have been anything close to respectable since he joined the league. Two of his first 4 years he has had over 100 yard seasons and finished with no less then 929 yards, last year he had 997 yards through 12 games before he got hurt, yeah if they didnt have Forte that offense would have been laughable, they have been in the lower part of the league in passing yards the better half of at last the last 10 years

[Jay Kirk]

Not to mention without Peppers who doesnt seem to age they have no pass rush for the most part

[Superman]

More recent comparables:

Marshawn Lynch, 4 years, $31 million, $17 million "guaranteed"

DeAngelo Williams, 5 years, $43 million, $21 million "guaranteed"

Ray Rice, 5 years, $40 million, $25 million "guaranteed"

LeSean McCoy, 5 years, $45 million, $20.75 million "guaranteed" (extension)

Arian Foster, 5 years, $43.5 million, $20.75 million "guaranteed"

I don't see how it can be argued that Forte is now "overpaid." His contract is actually a little on the light side, in years and average, compared to the others on this list.

[chad72]

I really think Arian Foster's deal cornered both Forte and Rice into a spot where they could not demand Adrian Peterson money. A stay order has been placed on the days of a top RB averaging $11 mil. per year, it will eventually happen, just not till 2014, IMO. This is like a temporary reset button, IMO.

DeAngelo Williams from the bunch above is whose contract I do not feel is as warranted, especially with Cam Newton at the helm and the new offense Rod Chudzinski runs, IMO.

[IndyTrav]

DeAngelo Williams from the bunch above is whose contract I do not feel is as warranted, especially with Cam Newton at the helm and the new offense Rod Chudzinski runs, IMO.

He got that right after his 1500 and 18 TD (1600,20total) year when he pretty much put Car. in the playoffs. He's only scored 22TDs total in the other 5yrs....

[Blackhawk4]

Not to mention without Peppers who doesnt seem to age they have no pass rush for the most part

It's why they drafted Mcclellin.

[Jay Kirk]

It's why they drafted Mcclellin.

Hope it makes a difference my freind