Friday morning it was made official that Matt Forte would not be returning to the Bears. After eight seasons with the Bears, Forte is expected to sign with another team for next year.
As the news spread, both current and former teammates reached out to Forte on Twitter to express their feelings for the former Pro Bowl running back.
Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould was one of the first players to express himself on Twitter. Gould was the only Bears player on the team longer than Forte, who was drafted in 2008.
@MattForte22 one of the very best teammates and players to ever wear @chicagobears jersey. It was honor to be your teammate.
— Robbie Gould (@RobbieGould09) February 12, 2016
Kyle Long
Offensive tackle Kyle Long took a less direct approach to his goodbye. Long and Forte met up in San Francisco during the Super Bowl festivities. Friday, Long retweeted a picture the two took together.
My ace RT @Ky1eLong: Ran into @MattForte22 in San Fran https://t.co/GezLcUz9kF
— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) February 7, 2016
Lance Briggs
Longtime Bears linebacker Lance Briggs went through a similar process at the end of his career with the Bears. However, unlike Forte, the split between Briggs and the Bears was much less amicable. Friday, Briggs tweeted out a picture of the two former teammates.
#FBF: Job well done, 2️⃣2️⃣! ✊🏽 https://t.co/4FrrqzDfxZ pic.twitter.com/51JsZ1Iegh
— Lance Briggs (@LanceBriggs) February 12, 2016
Patrick Mannelly
No one has ever played more games for the Bears than Patrick Mannelly. While he may not have played a big of a role game-in-game-out as Forte. Now a Bears analyst on the radio, Mannelly shared that “one time” Forte talked with him.
That one time @MattForte22 talked to me. #teammateship pic.twitter.com/QoXQNnaeDd
— Patrick Mannelly (@PatrickMannelly) February 12, 2016
Where Forte ends up next year is still a mystery. Although there are some potential options already popping up for the running back. He hopes to recreate what happened with Charles Tillman, who after leaving the Bears made a trip to the Super Bowl with the Carolina Panthers.