The Chicago Bears have had some talented running backs in their storied 100-plus year history, including Hall of Famers Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski.
Matt Forte might not be a Hall of Famer, but his name is among the list of all-time great bears running backs. For a while, he was one of the most underrated players in the league because of his ability to change games without much recognition.
Forte was incredible at running the ball, but he was also a threat in the passing game. When he was in the backfield, defenses had to worry about him getting the ball for a rush or going out for a pass along with the rest of the receivers on the team.
He spent the final two years of his 10-year NFL career with the New York Jets, but he is a Chicago Bear for life. The Bears are a franchise loaded with incredible running back aura, and Forte is a big piece of that. He didn’t win the Super Bowl, but he was one of the best for a long time.
Who's down to watch some Matt Forte highlights? 🙋@MattForte22 | @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/5xhhv3WH4t
— NFL (@NFL) July 9, 2024
Forte eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in five of his eight seasons in Chicago. (And he was just three yards shy of making it six). In those other two seasons, he eclipsed 800 rushing yards.
As a receiver, Forte was just as lethal. He had over 400 receiving yards as a running back in every year of his Bears career except one. That is highlighted by the 808-passing-yard year he had in 2014. The only season that he didn’t finish with over 1,000 all-purpose yards was his final one with the Jets. It was an incredible run for an elite player.