Former Exec Weighs In on Matt Forte Hall of Fame Chances

Brian Urlacher became the latest Chicago Bears alum to take his place in Canton, Ohio at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Amidst the pageantry and celebration, the inevitable question came up. Who could be the next one to join him? Comments tend to surround names like Olin Kreutz, Lance Briggs, or Devin Hester.

Guys who were the best at their positions for a period of time. However, there’s also been a quiet movement for another prominent star. Somebody who had one of the more productive careers of his generation but sometimes gets overlooked. That being Matt Forte. The two-time Pro Bowler was the focal point of the Bears offense for eight seasons.

In that time, he amassed over 12,000 yards from scrimmage before heading off to complete his career in New York with the Jets. An excellent player who never got the credit he deserved. Did he do enough to build a case for a gold jacket? A new inductee and former Super Bowl-winning executive Gil Brandt offered his take.

Brandt sees Matt Forte as member of the Hall of Very Good

Brandt asserts that Forte was one of the best backs during his time. An absolute workhorse who surprisingly avoided major injuries for the majority of his NFL career. However, his good-not-great rushing totals and misfortune of playing on mostly losing teams will likely hold him back.

“Forte was one of the most complete running backs of his generation, logging a whopping 2,910 touches in 10 seasons — the most in the NFL from 2008 through ’17. He was a constant source of scrimmage yards, putting up 1,447 per season. His name will draw consideration, but his career total of 9,796 rushing yards (33rd all time) is probably not enough to get him into the final round of Hall of Fame voting. If his teams had performed better, he’d have a better chance.”

Forte finished 6th on Brandt’s list of running backs most likely to get Hall of Fame consideration. Adrian Peterson headlines the rankings with Frank Gore right behind him at #2. Both unquestionably have stronger cases for the Hall of Fame than Forte. Peterson was more dominant along the same time period he played and Gore has lasted longer with much higher stats.

There is no doubt Forte deserves a special place in Bears history. Canton though? It seems his time may never come.