Bears Secure Multi-Year Contract With Matt Forte

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The four-year contract will reportedly average $8 million per year, according to reports. Speculation had centered around a deal averaging $8-9 million per year so that sounds about right.

Forte finished his rookie deal last season at which point the Bears popped the franchise tag on him.

The two sides have until Monday to reach an agreement, or Forte will have to play the 2012 season under his $7.7 million franchise tender. The negotiations have been ongoing since before the 2011 season, and the knee injury Forte suffered last year only complicated matters.

The dispute has gotten ugly at times, with Forte publicly showing his displeasure. Even Bears quarterback Jay Cutler got caught in the crossfire. Forte rushed for 997 yards in just 12 games last season. He has 4,233 yards in his four-year career with the Bears.

Matt Forte and the Chicago Bears are still at odds over the running back’s contract, but they could come to an agreement on a deal before the franchise tag deadline. Forte has not signed his franchise tag tender because he wants a long-term deal, and the deadline to sign is on Monday. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the two sides are making progress on a long-term contract.

Forte injured his knee just before the end of last season, which might have hurt him in long-term contract negotiations. The dispute between the two teams has been very public, with Forte regularly expressing his displeasure with the team, but he has also indicated that he does want to work out a deal and stay in Chicago.

Appearing on ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Cuter said, “we don’t know what’s gonna happen.” He then went on to say, “so if and when we get Matt back, we’re happy to have him.”

It could be Cutler is less confident Forte will sign his franchise tender. Or it could be the quarterback is trying to avoid saying too much after Forte was less than thrilled with Cutler’s “shocked” comment. Following Cutler’s comment, Forte told the Chicago Sun Times, “It kind of looks bad when other people speak for you. [Cutler] doesn’t really know what’s going to happen. He’s not in the negotiations.”

Chicago used the franchise tag to keep Forte off the free agent market this spring. Teams and players have until July 16 to agree to long-term contracts with franchised players.

Forte, who missed four games last season, rushed for 997 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught 52 passes for 490 yards and one touchdown. His overall rating from Pro Football Focus, an 18.1, was the fourth highest mark for any running back last season.

“I don’t think I really have a choice, do I?” Forte said to a group of reporters at a charity event Friday. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

Although the regular season is not in doubt, Forte has yet to commit to reporting to Bears training camp. He previously skipped OTAs and minicamp this offseason. If he and the Bears do not agree to a long-term contract extension, Forte could play this season under his franchise tender. He will be guaranteed $7.749 million in 2012 if he signs his franchise tender.

Forte’s agent, Adisa Bakari, also responded Sunday, calling the Bears’ concerns “absurd.”

Forte skipped the first week of the Bears’ OTAs in dispute of his contract. In April he said that he would refuse to sign the Bears’ franchise tag offer. Among his four years in the league, Forte has only once failed to play in 16 games. Though he missed four games in 2011, he averaged a career-best 4.9 yards per carry. Forte, who will turn 27 in December, has recorded 1,237 career touches in the NFL.

On Monday, fans will get a glaring reminder that football is a business, just in case the lesson of last year’s lockout failed to drive that point home. Offseason workouts start and so do player holdouts. More than a few of the game’s biggest names will not be on the field Monday, sitting out as a statement of their worth and plying a little leverage toward a bigger and better contract.

To fans high on spring’s hopefulness, a holdout looks like a road hazard on the way to the promised land. The negotiating tactic is naturally greeted with a reaction somewhere along a spectrum between indifference at the rigmarole of contract negotiations and outrage.

Chicago begins their first round of offseason workouts on Monday. Barring a last-minute deal, Forte will be a no-show for those activities. The whole situation sets up what could be a lengthy holdout for Forte. The deadline to sign the franchise offer, which would pay Forte $7.7 million, is July 15.

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According to Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune, there is no progress on Forte either signing the tender or the two sides agreeing on a long-term contract. To that end, Forte is expected to be absent at the beginning of offseason workouts next Monday and miss mini-camp in June as the Bears gear up for next season. Forte will not be allowed to attend any offseason workouts until he signs with the team.

Bears general manager Phil Emery stresses that the team will continue to work toward a long-term deal with Forte.

The official Chicago Bears Twitter feed announced on Friday night that the team would be applying the franchise tag on Forte. This will keep the running back under control through 2012 and will give Chicago until the following free agency period to attempt to come to terms with him on an extension.

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It appears that the Bears are eager to begin working toward a new contract as soon as possible. Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported on Friday that the team will open talks with Forte regarding a new deal while in Indianapolis for the 2012 NFL Combine this week.

The Bears had noted previously that they would have no issues with using the franchise tag on Forte, if it came down to that. It makes sense that they want to get talks started as soon as possible, to gauge whether a deal can be hammered out before Forte hits the market on March 13, or if they will need to apply the tag by the March 5 deadline in order to keep the running back from bolting.