Why Matt Forte Will Stay in Chicago

This guest post was made by the SeatCrunch team.

There has been a lot of talk surrounding Matt Forte and his future with the Chicago Bears. Since he has yet to have been offered the long term contract he desires, he is not expected to show up to any of the Bear’s OTAs. There are some who think he may even miss the entire pre-season. Despite all of this, when Chicago suits up for their first game of the season, you can be sure that Forte will be right there with them. Here’s why.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, running backs will make about $7.7 million per year. Forte’s rookie contract paid him $3.78 million over four seasons. That’s less than half of what he would make should he decide to accept the franchise tag tender. Forte would be making a clear mistake to pass up a deal like that.

In addition, the longer he waits, the more credibility he gives to the Bears’ other running back, Michael Bush. Bush ran for nearly 1,400 yards last season, so the Bears have no problem trusting him to carry the ball. Forte will sign for the money and for the safety of his starting position. At the end of the day, the sooner he does it, the better it is for everyone involved.