Before C.J. Anderson re-signed with the Denver Broncos, and before he signed an offer sheet with the Miami Dolphins, the Chicago Bears and Anderson‘s old coach, John Fox, made a strong offer to bring the former undrafted running back to the Windy City.
In fact, the Bears reportedly offered Anderson a four-year, $19 million deal, which is more than he would have received from the Dolphins or did end up receiving from the Broncos. That did not make Matt Forte happy.
Me either RT @singinsince3: The way Ryan Pace went after CJ Anderson after not even offering Forte a contract doesnt sit well with me!!
— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 23, 2016
Forte, 30, had spent eight seasons as the Bears starting running back, earning two trips to the Pro Bowl and leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage since 2008. But once he hit free agency this offseason, Chicago made no attempt to re-sign Forte, and he, instead, opted to sign a three-year, $12 million deal with the New York Jets.
And it makes sense that he would be a little peeved. After all that Forte has done for the Bears and the city of Chicago, it is surprising that they would offer Anderson almost $1 million more a year than Forte eventually got from New York. Yes, Forte is five years older than Anderson, and that makes a significant difference, but their production is still very similar.
Forte in ’15: 218 carries; 898 rushing yards; 44 receptions; 389 receiving yards; 7 total touchdowns
Anderson in ’15: 152 carries; 720 rushing yards; 25 receptions; 183 receiving yards; 5 total touchdowns
Not to mention, we’re only one year removed from seeing Forte catch 102 passes and top 1,800 yards from scrimmage. And while age normally correlates negatively with injuries, it is Forte who has been the significantly healthier running back.
All that said, what’s important is that the Broncos have their running back; if that means the Bears are left empty handed, so be it.