Few men carried the torch of being Chicago Bears ambassador better than Matt Forte. For a good five-year period he was the best player on the team and often the only real weapon they had on offense. By the end of 2015 he’d compiled 12,718 yards from scrimmage with 64 touchdowns. His smooth playing style and versatility were what made him one of the most underrated and underappreciated players in the NFL.
It’s impossible to know for sure what he was thinking last March when the Bears came to the decision to let him walk in free agency. It made a certain sense from a business standpoint. He was turning 30-years old, a dangerous age for running backs. The team was trying to get younger and didn’t want to pay overpay him to stay. On the other hand, after all Forte had done for the franchise it’s hard not to believe the decision didn’t sting.
So one can imagine how the veteran must’ve felt when the NFL Network chose to put him on a stage with Jordan Howard, his heir apparent in Chicago. “Awkward” is one word that comes to mind. Yet Forte, calm as usual, seemed to take it in stride. He even showed his typical class by offering the 22-year old some advice about the present and future with his team.
Howard finished 2016 with the second-most rushing yards in the NFL (1,313). It broke the Bears franchise record for most by a rookie. A record set by Forte himself back in 2008. The fact Howard did it despite starting just 13 games is what makes it all the more impressive. He came in as a lowly fifth round draft pick from Indiana. Now he’s a Pro Bowler and considered to be the focal point of the entire offense moving forward.
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Forte knows what that feeling is like. He took it in stride. Odds are Howard will take his advice and do the same.
