The Chicago Bears are continuing to ignore Matt Forte’s desire for a long-term contract. As an excuse, team officials have reportedly expressed concern over Forte’s knee which he hurt last season.
The Bears are privately concerned arthritis could set in, leading to a chronic problem for the fifth-year back. Forte hasn’t signed Chicago’s $7.7 million franchise tender, and is sitting out OTAs.
Questions about Forte’s durability aren’t new. According to the Tribune, the wear and tear of Forte’s knees drew the attention of multiple teams before the 2008 NFL Draft. The Bears were among that group, though they took the Tulane star in the second round anyway.
In response to the report, Forte quickly tweeted a link to a video which shows the running back running up a hill while carrying a 100lb sled.
Hard to argue with @MattForte22 on this one. Knee looks good. http://t.co/A76mxvm8#deweydefeatstruman
— Chris De Luca (@ChrisDeLuca) May 27, 2012
We're 100 days out from #nfl season..and the best multi purpose running backin the league is sitting at home training.@MattForte22 #payforte
— Jesse Tooper (@Toopdaddy) May 28, 2012
They need to stop playing an give @MattForte22 a better contract
— Devon (@rhollo757) May 28, 2012
https://twitter.com/wwilldathrill/status/207172079278239746
https://twitter.com/fkjrpanther13/status/207142647809314816
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