SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Forte last met with Ryan Pace on Jan. 4, as the Bears were cleaning out their lockers. The GM told the Bears running back — and pending free agent — that he would evaluate the roster, make a decision about his future and let him know.
Exactly a month later — crickets.
“I haven’t been called yet,” Forte said Thursday, “so I guess they don’t know what they’re going to do yet.”
While that can’t be encouraging news for Forte, who wants to stay in Chicago, the running back refuses to look at it as a bad omen. He said he’s eagerly waiting March free agency.
“That’s all I get on Twitter — ‘Please don’t leave us,’” he said. “I’m like, ‘That’s not my decision. Tell the Bears that. They’re the ones that hold the cards, really.’”
After finishing a four-year, $30 million deal, Forte said there’s a lot to consider when evaluating potential future employers.
“The contract is only a small part of it,” said Forte, who attended a Sports Illustrated event Thursday. “You gotta consider the team — more specifically the quarterback that’s there. They have a good O-line? I also gotta consider the best place for my family to be.”
He’s used to waiting.
“You gotta wait to get drafted,” he said. “Once you get drafted you wait to get the next big contract. Then you gotta wait for that. I got franchise (tagged) and had to wait for that.
“Now you produce in your second contract and you wait for free agency.“
Were he building a team, Forte said he’d “keep around the vets who have been there, have been consistently productive.” But he’s not sure where he stands.
“I might seem a little nonchalant about it,” he said. “It’s because it’s out of my hands.”
He’s waiting for a clue about his future in Chicago.
“Literally,” he said, “I have no idea.”
Follow me on Twitter @patrickfinley
Email: pfinley@suntimes.com
