Tag: bears general manager

Matt Forte, Thomas Jones air grievances about former Bears management

“The Last Dance” shined a light on the dark side of professional sports management, and some former Bears shared their own experiences.

The sports world saw its most excitement in over a month when the ESPN docuseries “The Last Dance” premiered on Sunday evening. The 10-part series details the Chicago Bulls’ final championship run back in 1998 and shows never-before-seen footage of one of the most iconic sports teams of all time.

Naturally, nearly every sports fan tuned to watch the first two episodes and had many thoughts on the Bulls, particularly regarding the mistrust between the Bulls players and their front office. A couple former Bears chimed in as well, then shared thoughts on their own team.

Former Bears running back Matt Forte, who played for the team from 2008-15, reacted to a Tweet from retired NFL receiver Torrey Smith, saying Bulls general manager Jerry Krause “ruined one of the greatest teams in any sport” as he reacted to the docuseries. Forte agreed and said it seems to be a common theme in Chicago.

When asked to elaborate, the former Pro-Bowl rusher didn’t hold back, airing his grievances with former Bears general managers Jerry Angelo and Phil Emery. Forte began with Emery, citing the way head coach Lovie Smith was fired in 2012 following a 10-6 season. He was also displeased with how Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher’s tenure ended with the team, along with linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Charles Tillman.

Forte then went on to detail his issues with Angelo, focusing on how his former boss wasn’t faithful in contract negotiations just prior to the 2011 season, Forte’s final year in his rookie deal.

That’s when Thomas Jones, another former Bears running back, entered the conversation to agree with Forte when it came to Angelo. Jones spent three seasons with the Bears from 2004-06 before getting dealt to the New York Jets for a second-round draft pick following the Bears loss in Super Bowl XLI. Like Forte, he has a similar issue with Angelo when it came to negotiating in good faith.

Angelo, who signed Jones as a free agent in 2004 and drafted Forte in the second-round of the 2008 NFL Draft, was fired following the 2011 season. Emery was hired as his replacement and got off to a rocky start with Forte.

The Bears placed the franchise tag on the team’s second all-time leading rusher, before eventually agreeing to a contract extension, giving Forte $32 million over four years with $18 million guaranteed. The two parties avoided a holdout situation heading into training camp. Emery would be fired just two seasons later after a disastrous season in 2014.

Forte apologized for his posts, saying the docuseries reminded him how great his own teams could have been.

Jones also made it clear he has no ill will towards Angelo, saying “it’s just the ugly part of the NFL,” and that he’s grateful for the opportunity he had to play in Chicago.

Getting a peek behind at the curtain at some of the issues that plagued arguably the greatest basketball dynasty ever brings out many emotions. As former players, Forte and Jones brought some of their own issues with team management to light after reacting to “The Last Dance.”

The question is, with millions of fans captivated by the docuseries and still eight episodes to go, what else might be shared by Chicago athletes over the next few weeks?

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