RB Matt Forte rejects Chicago Bears concerns over his knees - NFL News
The on-going saga between running back, Matt Forte and Chicago Bears over a new long term deal took a new twist on Saturday when a newspaper report cited that the franchise had concerns over the player’s long term health.
According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the delay in signing the franchise’s best running back from last season has to do with concerns the Bears have over Forte’s knees.
An anonymous source told the newspaper that the franchise is concerned Forte could develop arthritis in his knees, which can become a big problem for the running back in the future and that is the reason they do not wish to commit to Forte for the long term.
Talks over a new contract have been delayed since the start of the offseason as both parties have been unable to agree on the wages and duration of a new deal.
Forte is currently holding out of the team’s voluntary offseason practice and has also refused to sign the franchise tender placed on him by the Bears.
It is also likely that the running back might hold out from the team’s mandatory training camp if a new deal cannot be reached.
After the report on his knees came out, Forte immediately took to Twitter to refute the concerns and posted a video in which he is sprinting up a hill with a weight attached to a rope on his waist.
“100Lbs sled up hill i think my knee will be ok RT @nfl: Bears concerned with Matt Forte's knees: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/090 … http://twitvid.com/OPVBZ”
- Matt Forte (@MattForte22) May 26, 2012
His agent, Adisa Bakari, talking with the Chicago Sun-Times also refuted the reports posted by the Tribune and said that it was absurd to question the health of his client.
"Matt Forte is among the most, if not the most, durable, all-purpose running back in the NFL. The 2011 season was the first season of his career that he missed any games. Had the Bears been playoff contenders, he could have returned for the balance of the
season. To question his durability at this stage in his career is absurd."
Still a new long term deal does not look to be on the cards anytime soon. Both parties have till July 16 to agree on a new deal.
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