By Jordan Long
NFL running back Matt Forte has decided to retire. According to ESPN, Forte said, “For the past 10 years, I’ve been blessed to play professionally a game that I’ve loved since I was 6 years old. But, after much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL.” Let’s take a look back at his time in the NFL.
Forte was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. His first season, he established himself as a duel threat by running and catching the football. Teams had to game plan for him. Forte rushed for 1,238 yards and 8 touchdowns and added 477 receiving yards in his rookie season.
In a Bear’s uniform he surpassed the 1,000 rushing yard mark 4 more times. Forte played 8 years with the Bears. He ended up with a total of 8,602 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns. His average yard per rush was 4.2 yards. He also added 4,116 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns.
Prior to the 2016 season, Forte agreed to a 3-year $12 million contract with the Jets. The Jets were hoping that adding Forte would improve the running game. It didn’t. That year he ran for 813 yards and was able to score 7 touchdowns. This past season was his worst with 381 yards on the ground in 12 games. It was time for him to walk away from the game.
Forte was one of the top running backs during his short career. He went to the Pro Bowl twice. The only missing part of his resume is a Super Bowl. Forte played in 2 playoff games in 2010. He was average with 150 total rushing yards. The Bears lost in the NFC title game 21-14 to the Green Bay Packers his only opportunity for a run at a ring.
Forte is making the right decision. He was not the same runner last season and it showed. Forte can hold his head up high because he played the game the right way. He may not be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame because of his short career. Time will only tell.
What do you think of Matt Forte’s career?
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