Ranking the Top 5 Bears running backs of all time
By Ryan Heckman
3. Matt Forte
One of the most under-appreciated and underrated running backs in the history of the Bears, and in the history of the NFL for that matter, came out of Tulane as a second-round pick back in 2008. You could argue that Matt Forte should actually be number two on this list, but we'll get to that argument when we talk about the next legend.
In eight years with the Bears, Forte amassed 8,602 yards, 45 touchdowns and, believe it or not, he also sits seventh all-time in team receiving yards. Forte was a do-it-all master of the back field, catching 487 passes for 4,116 yards and 19 touchdowns throughout his career.
Forte went over the 1,000-yard mark on five occasions in Chicago while earning two Pro Bowl honors as well. Because he was on some lesser-competitive teams throughout his time with the Bears, he did not get the respect he deserved. The Bears' offensive line was, at times, pretty poor. Offensively, the Bears were rarely respectable outside of a few big years from Jay Cutler.
But, Forte was an afterthought more often than not. As the team's second all-time leading rusher, Forte should be remembered as one of the best all-around players this team has ever seen.