By Vaughn McClure, Chicago Tribune –
CHICAGO — Matt Forte’s messy contract dispute concluded with a harmonious ending.
The Pro Bowl running back officially put to rest any thoughts of a holdout when he signed a four-year contract Monday. The deal has a maximum value of $31.5 million and includes $17.1 million guaranteed, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. The base value of the contract is $28.1 million, the source said.
Forte is due $9.8 million this season, including signing and roster bonuses. He would have made $7.74 million in ‘12 under the franchise tag. His cap hit now for this season is $6.8 million. But Forte essentially would have made the same amount of guaranteed money had the Bears elected to franchise him two years in a row.
“I’m proud to be a Chicago Bear and excited to be here for another four years,” Forte said in a statement. “I’ve been working hard this offseason and am looking forward to joining my teammates at training camp next week. I’m glad the business part is done and we can all turn our attention to football and our goal of winning a championship.”
Indeed, the Bears can focus on football as they approach the first day of training camp July 25. There is some unfinished business, with quarterback Jay Cutler due for an extension and linebacker Brian Urlacher’s contract set to expire at season’s end. Yet getting Forte’s situation resolved was the biggest obstacle to overcome.
The Bears had until 3 p.m. Monday to reach terms with Forte on a long-term deal. The team’s original offer before last season included close to $15 million guaranteed and $6 million per season, but Forte and his agent, Adisa Bakari, initially sought a five-year, $40 million deal with $20 million guaranteed.
The “strong offer” team President Ted Phillips referred to back in March apparently was the $17.1 million guaranteed figure, and a source said the Bears never budged thereafter.
“We’re very pleased that we were able to come to terms on a four-year extension with Matt,” Bears GM Phil Emery said. “We’re excited to get him on the field and continue working toward our goal of winning a championship.”
The process was far from seamless.
Negotiations between Bakari and the Bears went south last summer when Forte felt then-GM Jerry Angelo did not keep his promise to reward him with a lucrative deal. Rather than hold out, Forte — who played the final year of his rookie contract for $600,000 — took a business-as-usual approach toward the season. He was named to his first Pro Bowl despite missing the final four games of 2011 with a sprained MCL in his right knee.
Forte, 26, has compiled 4,233 rushing yards and 1,985 receiving yards in his young career. The former second-round pick from Tulane became the first player in NFL history to reach 900 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons.
Having Forte signed now allows offensive coordinator Mike Tice to move forward with the high-powered offense he envisioned since being promoted. The Bears added three-time Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall, which should open some lanes for Forte. And although Forte felt “disrespected” when the team signed veteran running back Michael Bush to a four-year, $12 million contract, the duo could end up being one of the most dangerous tandems in the league.
Forte missed offseason workouts, leaving Bush and Kahlil Bell to handle the load. But he shouldn’t have much of a problem transitioning back into his starting role.
“Matt’s a football player, and he’s been doing this a long time,” Bell said. “He’ll make the adjustment to this new offense. He’ll be fine. Matt’s a true pro. And being that, I know he’ll be on top of his game.”
