The New York Jets have an agreement in principle to sign running back Matt Forte, per Adam Schefter. Forte, 30, spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears after being selected in the second round of the 2008 Draft.
Matt Forte to sign with the Jets
Since his debut in 2008, the 30-year-old running back has more rushing and receiving yards combined than any other NFL player.
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Forte is undoubtedly one of the best running backs of this generation and one of the greatest players to wear a Bears uniform. He is second in franchise history in rushing yards (8,602) and rush attempts (2,035) behind Walter Payton, and his 45 touchdowns on the ground rank fourth in the team’s record books.
His versatility as both a runner and receiving threat out of the backfield is what sets Forte apart. He's totaled at least 800 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards in each of his eight seasons; the only players in NFL history with more such campaigns are LaDainian Tomlinson and Ricky Watters (both have nine). Since his debut in 2008, Forte leads the league with 12,718 yards from scrimmage and is tied for seventh with 64 total touchdowns.
He’s also been incredibly durable during his career, missing just eight games in eight years. Forte has been a starter since day one with the Bears and has ranked among the league’s top-10 in touches five times. .
Despite his standing as a top-tier offensive playmaker, Forte is coming off his least productive campaign and seems to be slowing down. He missed three games in 2015 due to a knee injury, while his 898 rushing yards and 389 receiving yards were the lowest and second-lowest totals, respectively, of his career.
Forte, who turns 31 in December, has the age factor working against him as well. It’s rare for a running back to maintain his productivity after age 30, and history suggests that his best days on the gridiron are likely behind him. He’s carried the ball more than 2,000 times and caught nearly 500 passes. That’s a ton of wear and tear on a 30-year-old’s body, even if Forte has proven to be a workhorse during his career.
Forte will reunite with Brandon Marshall, his teammate in Chicago, and will shore up a run game for a team that just lost Chris Ivory to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
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