Matt Forte: Chicago Bears Place Franchise Tag on Star RB

Matt Forte and the Chicago Bears are not going to part ways with one another.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears have decided to use the franchise tag on their star running back:

"

#Bears announce team has placed franchise tag on RB Matt Forte.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 3, 2012"

Forte has rushed for 1,000 yards in two of his four seasons with the Bears. He had 997 yards rushing in 12 games this past season before a knee injury forced him to shut it down late in the 2011 campaign.

What It Means

This is a move the Bears had to make. The deadline for teams to use the franchise tag is Monday, and the Bears risked losing Forte to free agency if they chose not to use the tag on him.

In his full report, Biggs notes that Forte will make $7.7 million in 2012 under the franchise tender—a raise of over $7 million over what he made in 2011. It's not what he wanted, but at least he's going to get paid.

The use of the franchise tag doesn't mean Forte and the Bears can't continue working on an extension, though. Biggs notes that a long-term deal can be signed anytime between now and July 15.

NFL free agency opens up on March 13.

What Happens Next

I'm assuming the Bears and Forte are going to keep negotiating an extension, but it wouldn't surprise me if the two sides aren't able to agree to terms by the time the July deadline rolls around.

However, this situation does have the potential to get messy. Forte has already turned down a lucrative contract offer, and he's on the record saying that he's only cool with the tag if it's the means to an end.

"It depends on the motive," Forte said, according to ESPNChicago.com. "If they're doing the franchise tag just to get more time in order to negotiate a long-term deal then I would be OK with it. But if it's just to hold me another year and just say 'Let's throw some money at him right now to keep him quiet,' that's not going to solve anything."

If Forte gets the feeling that the Bears tagged him just to keep him around for another season, he could resort to a contract holdout.

So stay tuned. The Forte drama isn't over quite yet.