There is a report is out that Matt Forte won’t get the bulk of the carries in the backfield even though he’s returning to the lineup. Instead, Jeremy Langford will get the majority of the looks, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network:
This decision would make sense on a lot of levels for the Bears. After all, Forte is coming off of a knee injury that threatened to end his season, so he probably still doesn’t have a lot of zip yet on running plays. In addition, Langford has played extremely well lately, earning more playing time and at the very least an even split on carries as Forte is eased back in. (NBC Chicago)
Nerdy Football Analysis: Rapoport tweeted “Forte to be starter in name only”. The report sums up the reasons why nicely, as there is little reason to rush Forte back into 18-20 touches when Langford has played so well in his absence. The obvious concern for Forte’s owners is that the Bears decide to play for next year beginning this week or next and simply choose to split carries between the rookie and the 29-year-old free-agent-to-be the rest of the season.
