Matt Forte Is The Biggest Winner of the Bears Top 100 So Far

The next stage of the top 100 Chicago Bears ever continued on Wednesday with numbers 50-26. Mart Bortz, the former two-time Pro Bowl guard from the 1980s kicked things off. He was soon joined by former teammates like Dave Duerson (#47), Otis Wilson (#45), Wilber Marshall (#43), and Neal Anderson (#41). However, the biggest winner of this section and perhaps the entire list to this point? Matt Forte.

The former Bears running back spent his entire career being underappreciated by the wide NFL. He had more rushing and total yards than the far more celebrated names from his 2008 draft class like Chris Johnson and Jamaal Charles. Yet he is never considered to be in their league, which is funny in context.

Bears fans though. They remember. He was the man who basically carried the offense on his back for the first six seasons of his career. A versatile and dangerous weapon who could gash you for a 10-yard run and then catch a pass for 12 on the next play. Despite his limited accolades, Dan Pompei and his partner saw fit to place him at #34.

Matt Forte beats out several notable names for his spot

To understand the honor that Forte is given to his career, one must recognize who he beat out. In the four slots before him from 38-35, they're all Hall of Famers. That includes the "Galloping Ghost" Red Grange himself. While his numbers don't compare to modern backs like Forte, Grange did win championships and is often credited with bringing the pro game into the public consciousness.

To rank ahead of somebody of that stature is indicative of the contributions Forte gave to the organization. He may not have made a lot of Pro Bowls or won a championship, but none of that was within his control. The running back was a model citizen in Chicago for year, played his heart out and did everything he could to win on Sundays. He richly deserves where he's been placed.