Matt Forte was revered in the
Chicago Bears fan community for being their most reliable offensive weapon across an eight-year span. No matter what went wrong with the offensive line, or the wide receiver or the quarterback. The team always knew if they got the ball to Forte, he'd make something happen to keep them in games.
That's why it wasn't easy to see him go this past off-season. Some held out hope that the Bears would sign him to a one-year deal even though he was turning 30. There was still a chance he might have a season or two left in the tank. GM Ryan Pace was not convinced. He chose to let the veteran running back walk and rebuild around a young crop of backs.
Experts were skeptical the Bears could ever replace what Forte brought. Not with guys like
Jeremy Langford and
Ka'Deem Carey. Little did anybody know that the quiet arrival of a rookie fifth round draft pick from Indiana would change everything.
Legacy
One of the great highlights of Forte's stellar career was how it began. A second round pick in 2008, he was expected to play as a backup behind Cedric Benson. That all changed when the veteran back was arrested twice during that off-season for misconduct issues. Chicago was forced to cut him, thrusting the rookie Forte into the starting lineup. His debut in Indianapolis against the Colts was unforgettable.
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Forte became the bell cow for the Bears offense that season, setting a rookie rushing record of 1, 238 yards. People knew then the team had found a good one. It seems so fitting that almost the exact same scenario happened eight years later.
Jordan Howard was considered a primary backup to Jeremy Langford at the start of the season. Then Langford gets hurt, followed by Carey. Howard was forced into the starting lineup and never looked back.
Torch Passing
Three months later he did the unthinkable. He broke Forte's mark, finishing with 1, 313 yards rushing on the season. The fact he did this the same year Forte left might've made the veteran bitter. Instead, true to form, Forte displayed the same sportsmanship and class he always has during his career with a terrific post on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOz43dCjy2n/
Indeed no organization in the NFL can match the Chicago Bears when it comes to depth of running back legacy. It seems like every generation they have a premier talent at the position from Bronco Nagurski through Walter Payton all the way to Forte. Now the young man from Alabama is next in line. Here's hoping Matt is right and he upholds the mantle for years to come.
