Matt Forte’s Next Contract

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert takes a lot at how Gore’s current deal impact’s Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte next contract.

To start, Forte is set to become a free agent following the 2011 season. Reports have mentioned that Bears and Forte’s representation have been discussing an extension but so far have yet to come to an agreement.

Seifert points out that Gore is not only three years older than Forte but has actually received 700 more carries in his NFL.

This is a huge disparity considering that the average length span of an NFL running back is impacted by their usage. Plus, teams are essentially paying players for their future value and not what they’ve done in the past.

Gore was seeking a deal similar to that of DeAngelo Williams who got five years at $43 million and included in $21 million in guarantees. Instead Gore accept the 49ers offer of  three years  at $21 million with $13.5 million guaranteed. The fact that Gore is currently 28 and has injury history as well as likely impacted his bottom line.

But enough about Frank Gore. Forte is only 25 years old and has already had two great seasons in the NFL. The fact that he’s three years younger than both Gore and Williams is to his benefit. He’s also proven to be very effective in the passing game which can be something of a premium for featured running backs.

At this point in time, Forte has less leverage as he has a whole season ahead of him. The Bears appear to be looking for a deal so he may want to see how this season goes before agreeing to a longterm extension but he should end up getting close to Williams contract if he hits open the market. The aspect that could change is that it may not be the Bears who offer him that deal.