Bears' latest swipe at Forte senseless

We already know the Bears are better off avoiding a long-term commitment to Matt Forte.

And if there weren't enough proof that they don't want to look too far into the future, the franchise tag was probably a tipoff that the Bears don't believe in the long-term health of Forte — which is completely understandable.

He's an NFL running back nearing the end of his best years. Based on history, the Bears are correct in believing that Forte is going to start slowing down in the next year or two, whether or not he suffers any serious injuries.

With some obvious and wonderful exceptions, that's what usually occurs with NFL running backs.

Now, you add in some of Forte's injuries, combined with the fact that many NFL running backs are interchangeable, and there's just no great reason for the Bears to sign Forte to a multiyear extension.

They tagged him this year, they can tag him again next year, and by the end of 2013 Forte will be 28 and done with six years in the NFL. That will almost certainly be the end of his time with the Bears, if not before.

If he goes on to have terrific years somewhere else, the Bears will wish him well and hope he plays many more great years in the league.

But this is a smart business move. Players don't like hearing that, and often the fans don't as well, but it's the right move.

This isn't the McCaskeys being cheap. This is the McCaskeys being prudent.

What's odd is the Bears feeling the need to explain their position, when they've made it painfully obvious the last two years.

Perhaps they felt they were losing a public relations battle — or maybe it's because Brian Urlacher recently said he was hoping Forte would get paid — so the Bears floated a report last weekend that the team was concerned about Forte's knees.

Wasn't that pretty obvious already? Maybe not specifically his knees, but wasn't it apparent already that they view adversely Forte's health a couple years down the road?

If they didn't, they would have signed him already.

So who are they trying to convince? The fans, the players, the media?

Teams plant this sort of information when they're concerned about how they're being viewed, but in this case the Bears are piling on Forte because they seem to have convinced mostly everyone that they're doing the right thing.

Instead, with this latest volley they may have gained Forte more support among his fans and specifically among his teammates, who already view management and ownership as the enemy.

As Urlacher put it, players never think management is being fair, and players never think they're making enough money.

Trying to portray Forte as brittle doesn't help the cause, or win any more support than they already had. At the same time, Forte is probably angrier than he's ever been.

If they were trying to convince Forte to come to camp on time so he can prove he's healthy, well, all they've done instead is make certain he won't show up until he absolutely has to, and he doesn't lose any money until he starts skipping games.

Forte is tagged for $7.7 million this season and he's not going to forfeit a game check in 2012 because that's money he'll never recoup.

Forte will get here in time to get paid and he will have saved himself the misery of camp and the physical toll it takes.

If they were trying to convince him to play hurt this year to prove he can take the pounding, Forte's always done that so it's just difficult to see what the Bears have gained with this strategy.

Then again, this is the Bears, so trying to think logically doesn't always get you to the finish line.

Sometimes, it's best not to listen at all.

brozner@dailyherald.com

Ÿ Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score's “Hit and Run” show at WSCR 670-AM, and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.