Matt Forte's nettlesome contract situation with the Chicago Bears sits on the horizon as a growing nuisance.
Jay Cutler believes his workhorse back understands what he means to Chicago's quest for a title. The team's starting quarterback predicts Forte will sign his one-year, $7.7 million franchise tender and join the Bears at training camp.
"I would be shocked if he doesn't sign his tender by July 15, or whenever it is, and he shows up. It would really be a surprise to me (if Forte misses any training camp)," Cutler told ESPNChicago.com. "At the end of the day, I think Matt knows it's business. He's still getting seven-whatever-million dollars to play this year. So he's gonna show up."
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Forte told NFL Network's Lindsay Rhodes that he isn't looking to become the NFL's highest-paid back, but would like to be paid "among some of the top" runners. We're not sure where Cutler's supreme confidence stems from, but there's no questioning Forte's offseason work ethic:
"He was huge, all ripped up," Cutler said of his visit with Forte three weeks ago. "I was like, 'What do you do?' (He said,) 'All I do is go to the weight room. I've got nothing else to do.' I think he misses being there, misses the camaraderie. He's got to do what he's got to do, and we'll get him when we get him."
The Bears loom as a team that could inflict damage on the NFC this season if all the parts are in place. They were 7-3 before Cutler's thumb imploded, and Forte remains key to their chances in 2012. The notion that Michael Bush alone will carry the workload is flawed; he's primarily a power back, lacking Forte's overall skill set. The Bears and their running back need to figure something out against a ticking clock.