Matt Forte, Bears' second all-time leading rusher, announces retirement

Share

One of the Bears' all-time leading rushers is calling it a career.

Matt Forte, who ran for 8,602 yards during his eight seasons in Chicago, announced his retirement Wednesday.

Forte is the second leading rusher in franchise history, trailing only the great Walter Payton in that category and ranking ahead of Hall of Famer Gale Sayers. Forte also ranks fourth in franchise history in rushing touchdowns and ninth in total points scored, one of three non-kickers, along with Payton and Neal Anderson, in the top 10 on that list.

Forte, who was picked with 44th overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft and rushed for more than 1,200 yards in his rookie season, was a two-time Pro Bowler during his Bears career and was extremely durable, missing just eight regular-season games during his eight seasons on the Lakefront.

Forte's most productive season came in 2013, when he finished with 1,339 rushing yards and 594 receiving yards, scoring a total of 12 touchdowns. The following year, he rushed for 1,038 yards — his third straight 1,000-yard season and the last of his five as a Bear — and caught a career-high 102 passes for 808 receiving yards.

Forte spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets after the culmination of his eight-year Bears career, rushing more nearly 1,200 more yards in those two campaigns to bring his career to an even decade in the NFL.

Contact Us