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Forte won't abandon Bears teammates in quest for new contract

Matt Forte's stalled contract talks with Bears' front office places his future in Chicago in question, but he harbors no plans to walk out on his team in protest during the season.

"There's no chance that would happen," Forte told "NBC SportsTalk" on Friday. "I've been playing well, and I want to continue to do that. I'm just here to help my team win and continue to play well."

Forte is committed to his teammates, but he doesn't see eye to eye with the suits upstairs, who have promised to field a new offer soon. But nothing has materialized.

"I feel like if I was on any other team ... and you then produce well enough the past four years ... that it would be easy to really get a deal done," Forte said. "I'm not really sure what the problem is."

The 25-year-old back said he has no regrets turning down the Bears' offer before the season, which included a reported $13-15 million guaranteed. 

Forte dismissed the notion that he's been hurt by running back Chris Johnson's slow start in Tennessee after signing a massive contract extension.

"I really feel like that doesn't have anything to do with me," Forte said. "I'm not Chris Johnson. I'm a different player than he is."

Forte's on his way to a third 1,000-yard season in four campaigns. He's anchored Chicago's offense all season, and they'd be lost without him. It's baffling to Bears fans -- with no ability to fix the situation -- to watch Forte's future in Chicago just slip away. 

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