Tag: Matt Forte

Re-live some of Bears RB Matt Forte’s best career highlights

The Bears had some great years with RB Matt Forte. Re-live some of his best highlights with Chicago.

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.

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.

NFL analyst believes Bears RB Khalil Herbert in line for ‘big year’

Could Bears RB Khalil Herbert be in for a breakout year? One NFL analyst believes so.

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What do you think when someone says, “Chicago Bears?” It’s a multi-faceted question that can have many answers, all of them holding truth. One person might attach an identity to the team, saying “hard-nosed football.” The Bears lead the NFL with a whopping 30 players inducted in the NFL Hall of Fame; another fan might acknowledge one of them as the personification of the team, like the legendary Walter Payton.

For many, however, the Bears are known for having a long history of positional excellence that has withstood the test of time. Linebackers, defensive lineman, cornerbacks, running backs — excellence has graced these positions over the team’s 104-year history and many of those players are considered Bears legends.

The tradition is still alive and well in the modern age, as several recent players have brought elite skill to their respective positions. All-Pro Roquan Smith was the center piece of some truly terrifying Chicago defenses as the team’s middle linebacker, and the powerful duo of Akiem Hicks and Khalil Mack were whirlwinds of freak power and athleticism that opposing lineman couldn’t weather. As for running backs… it’s a bit of a different story.

While former Bear David Montgomery was an above-average running back whose ability to break tackles couldn’t be denied, Chicago has not had a truly great running back since 2015 — since Matt Forte was catching bullet passes from quarterback Jay Cutler. If history is truly meant to repeat itself, then where is Chicago’s next great running back? Well, one reputable football analyst claims that he’s already on the roster: Khalil Herbert.

Herbert has become a bit of a social media darling in Bears circles the last week or so. Fans are claiming that Chicago’s apparent commitment to an “running back by committee” approach on the ground can pave the way for Herbert to stand out among his teammates. Analyst Clay Harbor, however, believes an advanced metric from last season could indicate a “BIG year for Herbert.”

In the graph Harbor posted, Herbert ranks above other prominent running backs in a statistic called Average Rush Yards over Expected, with the Bears running back comfortably above one yard. For those who may not be aware, formulas are utilized to estimate what a ball carrier should average on any given play, based on a number of factors.

In this case, the formula Harbor posted is from the website Football Insights. So, the graph effectively demonstrates that Herbert gained one more yard per running play than the formula would have predicted Herbert to gain.

That number may seem inconsequential, but football is a game of inches. That one yard more Herbert gains on average could be the difference between getting stuffed at the goal line or scoring a touchdown.

Herbert’s breakout year could be imminent, if Harbor and the rest of the Bears’ faithful is to be believed. Which means Herbert may be taking his first steps into becoming Chicago’s next great running back.

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2023 NFL Draft: Devin Hester to announce one of the Bears Day 2 picks

Bears legendary return specialist Devin Hester will announce one of the team’s second-round picks on Friday evening.

A Chicago Bears legend will introduce one of the team’s newest draft selections on Friday night. Former All-Pro return specialist Devin Hester is set to take the stage in Kansas City to announce one of the Bears’ second-round picks.

Over the last decade or so, the NFL has brought former and active players from each organization to the draft to make selections on Day 2. The Bears have had players such as Matt Forte, Dick Butkus, Rashied Davis, and Olin Kreutz in recent years as representatives. Now it’s Hester’s turn as he hopefully introduces another star second-round selection, just like he turned out to be back in the mid-2000s.

The Bears selected Hester out of the University of Miami with the No. 57 pick in 2006. He immediately became a star, setting the NFL world on fire with his electric returns his rookie season, culminating in one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history when he ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts.

Hester finished his  NFL career with multiple NFL records, including the most career return touchdowns of all time and has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame each of the last two years. He’s considered the greatest return specialist in NFL history.

Hester will surely receive a warm reception from the Bears fans in attendance when he gets ready to announce the pick. The question is, will the NFL let him walk out to his signature song “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy when he enters the stage? We won’t have to wait too long to find out.

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The 10 best Louisiana born players who didn’t play at LSU

Here are 10 of the best Louisiana-native players this century who left the state for college.

LSU does a good job at keeping talent in-state.

As the only Power Five program in Louisiana, LSU has a unique advantage shared by only a few other major programs. It hasn’t been perfect, though. There have been big misses.

Some of these players LSU tried to recruit and struck out. Others flew under LSU’s radar but went on to be NFL stars.

Here, we’re going to look at the 10 best Louisiana-born players this century that didn’t don the purple and gold. We begin with a big-name quarterback who ended up at a division rival.

Devin Hester is a little envious of Soldier Field’s new turf

Devin Hester had a tremendous amount of success at Soldier Field, but he admits he’s a little jealous of the new field turf.

For years, the turf at Soldier Field has been a storyline for the Chicago Bears, primarily for all the wrong reasons. It has been regarded as one of the worst playing surfaces in the NFL and players have constantly slipped and slid when trying to make a cut or tackle.

Things are finally changing for the better, however, as the team made a call to change out the turf to Bermuda-style grass ahead of their opening game of the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers.

The new grass should allow players to move better and players like Cairo Santos have already praised the change. It’s also piqued the interest of former players, including one of the greatest Bears to every step foot on Soldier Field in Devin Hester.

Hester, the greatest return specialist in the history of the NFL, shared he’s a bit envious of the new turf at Soldier Field after spending years playing on the old surface.

“I am jealous, I am,” Hester told Bears Wire while participating at the FanDuel FanFest at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago over the weekend. “I probably could have ran a little faster out there. But it is what it is, I don’t look at it as that type of situation. At the end of the day, I’m playing on it, the defender is playing on it, there’s no excuse. At the end of the day, we’re both playing on it.”

The playing surface at Soldier Field didn’t seem to bother Hester as he notched 10 return touchdowns in his home stadium while playing for the Bears from 2006-2013. Hester had 11 of his NFL record of 20 return touchdowns at Soldier Field so it wasn’t much of a hinderance to his success. Still, he thinks he could have been even better playing on better turf. “I could have had probably about four more.” Hester said with a smile when asked if he would have scored more touchdowns playing on the new turf.

The future Hall of Famer hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, but showed he still has his athleticism while at the FanDuel FanFest. Hester competed with former teammate Matt Forte in a tic-tac-toe game where each person had to throw footballs in the corresponding spaces to win. Forte was the victor, but both he and Hester threw the ball well in the game, raising the question as to why there weren’t more trick plays for them during their playing days.

“It’s harder than it looks,” Hester said.

Hester and Forte were joined by fellow Bears greats Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman, who participated in a variety of sports experiences with other Chicago sports stars. The FanDuel FanFest is a one-day festival that brings together fans of sports and music to have a one-of-a-kind experience.

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Matt Forte sounds off on Roquan Smith contract situation: ‘The Bears are definitely cheap’

Matt Forte hopes the Bears get a deal done with Roquan Smith. But Forte didn’t hold back when it comes to the organization paying players.

The Chicago Bears and linebacker Roquan Smith remain deadlocked in contract negotiations with no end in sight.

With the regular season less than one month away, it certainly feels like we’re getting close to some kind of resolution. Whether that involves an actual contract extension or Smith playing out his rookie deal.

Both sides have argued their ground. Smith said he didn’t receive a fair deal that he could accept and one that would hurt the linebacker market. General manager Ryan Poles said they offered Smith “record-setting pieces” that they felt showed they respect him.

Ultimately, it comes down to the money. And Smith hasn’t gotten a deal that he feels he deserves, which is likely in the $20 million per year range.

Someone who’s standing on Smith’s side is former Bears running back Matt Forte, who understand why Smith is trying to use his leverage in negotiations.

“I respect him standing his ground and being like, ‘Look, I need to get paid,’ because you can get hurt any day,” Forte told 670 the Score. “And if you get hurt and they cut you, then they just release you and be like, ‘Well, you’re injured. You’re not the same guy anymore.’ So, you have to use your leverage as a player.”

Like many Bears fans, Forte hopes the two sides figure out a way to get a new deal done. Poles previously said his intentions are to sign Smith.

“With Roquan and the Bears, I hope they work it out because he’s been a solid and consistent player for them, and that’s what you look for on a team,” Forte said.

The Bears have often been referred to as a “cheap” organization, including the time Hall of Famer Mike Ditka said Bears founder George Halas “throws around nickels like manhole covers.” It’s definitely something Forte believes.

“The Bears, they are definitely cheap, and they give guys a hard time,” Forte said. “I don’t know, they pay a lot of guys who don’t deserve the money and sometimes the guys who do deserve it, they don’t pay them.”

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10 best Bears draft picks since 2000

Finding impactful players in the NFL draft isn’t always easy. But the Bears have had their share of success in the last 10 years.

The 2022 NFL draft is less than two weeks away and the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles will set out to add impactful players to the roster.

This will be Poles’ first go around with the draft as a GM and he’s tasked with finding the next class of great Bears players. Of course, it will take years to determine how well those selections will pan out.

Finding impactful players in the NFL draft isn’t always easy and finding and developing stars can be challenging. However, the Bears have had their share of success since the turn of the century. Here are our top 10 Bears draft picks since 2000.

Here are the 5 players the Bears have used the franchise tag on

The Bears aren’t expected to be involved during the franchise tag window. But they’ve used the tag five times in the past.

The franchise tag period opened Tuesday, but the Chicago Bears aren’t expected to use the tag on anyone. That includes wide receiver Allen Robinson, who will be one of the highly-sought after free agents next month.

While the Bears won’t be in the franchise tag market this offseason, there are a number of players who could be, including some potential free agents they might covet like a Davante Adams or a Cam Robinson.

In the past, Chicago has used the franchise tag five times, which includes some well-deserving names and one surprise.

Here’s a look at the five players who the Bears used the franchise tag on dating back to 2007.

Throwback Thursday: Bears dismantle Steelers in prime time

On this edition of Throwback Thursday, the Bears defeated the Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0 in 2013.

Every Thursday throughout the 2021 regular season, Bears Wire will take a look back at some of the most memorable moments in Chicago Bears history.

September 22, 2013: Bears defeat Steelers 40-23 to start season 3-0

The Chicago Bears travel to the Steel City this week to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in prime time. The last time the Bears faced the Steelers on the road was eight years ago, which also happened to be a night game. It was three weeks into the short-lived Marc Trestman era, but the Bears were riding high. They had started 2-0 and were looking for their first road win of the year.

Like their season, Chicago got off to a hot start. They scored a field goal on their opening possession, then got the ball right back when they stripped-sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the Steelers’ opening drive. The fumble led to a touchdown by Matt Forte to make it 10-0. The star running back then kept the points coming, ripping off a 55-yard run to set backup Michael Bush for a rushing touchdown of his own. The Bears were up 17-0 at the end of the first quarter and this one looked like it was already over. The Bears defense wanted to make sure of it.

Though they fell off significantly during much of Trestman’s tenure, the Bears defense still had some juice early on. Roethlisberger was beaten up by the front seven, getting sacked three times on the day, two of which came from linebacker D.J. Williams. Turnovers also continued to be a problem as the future Hall of Fame quarterback threw a pick six to safety Major Wright in the second quarter, giving the Bears a 24-3 lead. But the Steelers weren’t going away quietly.

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Roethlisberger relied on emerging superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown to get points and he delivered. Brown caught nine passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns, his best performance of his career at that time, to pull Pittsburgh within seven points. The Bears lead narrowed to 27-20 late in the third quarter, but they wouldn’t let it get closer than that.

For much of the night, Jay Cutler was dinking and dunking the ball for short gains while relying on the running game. In the fourth quarter, however, he decided to let loose – both in the air and on the ground. Cutler began completing deeper passes to his wide receivers while also gaining yards on the ground. On a third down, he scrambled for 13 yards, capped off with a hard hit he put on the defender to move the chains. The drive ended with an impressive touchdown toe-tapping catch by Earl Bennett to extend the lead.

Not to be outdone by the offense, the defense had one final trick up their sleeve. Lance Briggs casually stripped Roethlisberger for another fumble, this one picked up by Julius Peppers, who ran his way into the endzone for the score. It was the finishing touch on a dominant 41-23 victory for the 3-0 Bears. The win was also arguably the most complete victory of the Trestman era, with offense and defense both playing at a high level.

Can the Bears find similar success when they make their return to Pittsburgh on Monday night? We’ll find out soon enough when both teams square off in primetime yet again.

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Matt Forte slams Bears for being ‘unprepared’ and ‘out coached’

Former Bears RB Matt Forte is the latest to criticize the organization following an embarrassing loss.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. But the Chicago Bears are once again coming under fire following an embarrassing loss — the second of its kind in five weeks.

The Bears were humiliated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 38-3 blowout loss in front of most of the country, where Chicago has become a laughing stock of the NFL.

It’s the kind of loss that figures to be the nail in the coffin in Matt Nagy’s tenure as Bears head coach by season’s end. But the disappointment is also nothing new for this franchise.

Former Bears running back Matt Forte is the latest to criticize the organization for three bad patterns that he’s noticed since his time in Chicago.

The first pattern is how the Bears aren’t outmatched as a whole when it comes to talent — only on the offensive line. The second pattern is something Bears fans are familiar with — how most first-round picks don’t usually pan out, whether it’s because of injury or because they’re not good. The third pattern is a lack of continuity with players, coaches and general managers.

Forte’s comments were prompted by the Bears’ latest failures — a 35-point loss to the Bucs and a 10-point loss to the Green Bay Packers in what was a winnable game.

Forte called the Bears “unprepared,” “out coached”and “embarrassing” in those losses.

‘‘What upset me the most about the last two weeks is that our guys are very talented — again, we’re never really outmatched when it comes to talent,’’ he wrote. ‘‘But they looked so unprepared and out-coached, it was embarrassing.’’

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