Bears Tag Forte

Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?  The Bears took that advice and decided not to wait until Monday to use the Franchise Tag on running back Matt Forte.  The deal assures Forte will be a Bear  for 2012 at a tidy sum of $7.7 million, a hefty $7.1 million raise over his 2011 salary.

Here’s GM Phil Emery on the decision to tag Forte:

"“Matt is an important part of our football team and we chose to utilize the franchise tag to ensure he remains a Bear,” Bears general manager Phil Emery said. “We believe in Matt as a player and a person. Our intention is to continue to work to find common ground and keep Matt as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2012 and beyond.”"

The Bears and Forte have been on a collision course ever since training camp when the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on a contract extension.  Something tells me that there is no extension in the near future.  I think the Bears will look to address some other issues before they try to tackle Forte again.