One of the toughest contract situations around in the NFL over the last year was the rather public drama being played out by Matt Forte and the Chicago Bears front office. New general manager Phil Emery, former college scouting director for the Kansas City Chiefs, was brought in this offseason so it was going to be interesting to see how he handled the up-front negotiations with Forte. As the deadline to get a long-term deal finished has neared, Mike Lombardi has news that the team is now close to Forte on a new deal for the running back.
NFL.com has the word that, "The Chicago Bears running back is "extremely close" to a long-term deal with the team, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported Saturday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation."
Forte has been outspoken about wanting to get paid and a running back's shelf life is certainly something that is limited in NFL circles. However, Forte's situation also brings up another situation: Dwayne Bowe and the Chiefs. Bowe hasn't taken his grievances public like Forte. He's played the game well. He's displayed the maturity that he's never given credit for. Could he now be rewarded like Forte?
Perhaps Scott Pioli just doesn't like Bowe long-term and feels comfortable having Jon Baldwin already in the fold of the team. However, a deal could also be worked out without anyone knowing. One player now has his deal and it will be interesting to see if another can get done.