Matt Forte on Chicago exit: ‘You realize you’re just a jersey number to them’

Cordial breakups are apparently not the Chicago Bears’ forte.

In a recent interview with NFL.com, Jets running back Matt Forte discussed his departure from the Bears, the only NFL team he had ever played for.

“At first you’re like, why wouldn’t they want a guy who does everything right, has been productive since the beginning?” Forte said. “But then you look at the business side of it, and you realize you’re just a jersey number to them, and it’s like, I started to separate from that feeling of where I’m mad about it or angry, and started to kind of cope with the feeling that eventually I’d be somewhere else.”

The 30-year-old Forte spent the first eight seasons of his career in Chicago, rushing for a total of 8,602 yards and 68 touchdowns. But age and tire tread concerns really started to catch up to him last season, and the Bears chose to go in a different direction with young running back Jeremy Langford.

Forte, the two-time Pro Bowler, signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Jets in March. As the presumptive alpha dog in the Jets’ backfield next year, he should get his chance to prove to the Bears they goofed by letting him go.

H/T For The Win