RB Matt Forte Signs A Four-Year Contract

Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Bears and RB Matt Forte have agreed to a four-year deal that will roughly average $8 million per season.

Jensen also notes that this contract will have less guaranteed money than RB Arian Foster‘s contract, and RB LeSean McCoy‘s new deals. However, as Jenson mentions it’s because Forte’s new deal is a four-year contract and not a six-year contract like Foster’s and a five-year McCoy’s.

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Michael Lombardi states that the Chicago Bears, and RB Matt Forte are “extremely close” to agreeing on a long-term contract per Marc Sessler.

The situation between Forte and the Bears has improved as the Monday deadline approaches for players designated with the franchise tag to sign a long-term deal.

It seemed earlier in the offseason that Forte would not have a long-term contract in place before the deadline, now the situation has changed and Forte and the Bears should reach an agreement before the deadline.

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Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that there has been “considerable progress” between the Chicago Bears and RB Matt Forte on a new deal.  Per the article:

  “There are still issues to hash out regarding the average per year on the deal over the first three years, and how it could compare to say Marshawn Lynch’s new deal, but there has been movement on what the deal might look like over five years.”

For comparison sake, Marshawn Lynch signed a 4 year/$31M contract with $17M guaranteed in March, keeping him in Seattle through the 2015 season.