CHICAGO -- Bears running back Matt Forte isn't sure when he'll return from a sprained right knee.
Forte's status for the remainder of the season is in question after he left during the first quarter of Sunday's 10-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a sprained medial collateral ligament. The injury came two weeks after Bears quarterback Jay Cutler broke his thumb late in a victory over the San Diego Chargers.
Although Bears coach Lovie Smith has said he expects both players to return, neither is making any guarantees.
Forte said players with injuries like his generally miss two to six weeks. He received a plasma injection Tuesday morning hoping to speed the healing process, but he will sit out against the Denver Broncos this weekend.
"It's disappointing," said Forte, who has started all 60 games since he was drafted in 2008. "It's going to be my first game missed in my entire career. I've been playing going on four years and haven't missed a game. I'm not excited about that."
Forte was relieved when an MRI exam showed no major structural damage, so he knows he doesn't need surgery. The question is when he'll be back, and on that end, Forte isn't sure. He played through a similar injury in 2009.
"They're different because my leg was actually in the air. This time, my leg was planted in the ground, so it was more severe," he said. "I just got to try to get the swelling out, get the soreness out to where I can start being more functional."
Entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, Forte was seeking an extension. Talks went nowhere, but that didn't stop him from having a career season. He was leading the league in yards from scrimmage and was third in rushing entering Sunday's game.
Forte isn't sure how the injury will affect negotiations, but he insisted he doesn't regret turning down what the Bears were offering -- reportedly around $15 million guaranteed.
"I never second-guessed myself about taking the offer because it was too low," Forte said. "If a guy is a top-five running back, he's not going to take bottom-five money. I never second-guessed myself about that, but as far as how it affects the negotiation now, I don't know. You'll have to ask them that because they have some decisions to make. I'm going to try to heal up as best as I can and go from there."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
