New York Jets Will Give Matt Forte Plenty Of Rest

By Kenneth Teape | Jul 22, 2016

May 25, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) watches Matt Forte run with the ball during OTA at Atlantic Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Jets will be getting new running back Matt Forte plenty of rest throughout the season to make sure he remains healthy throughout 2016.

The New York Jets will once again rely on their running game to be the focal point of their offense, but it will be different players doing the heavy lifting this season. Out is Chris Ivory, who signed a big contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Replacing him will be former Chicago Bears workhorse Matt Forte and New Orleans Saints power back Khiry Robinson.

In addition to the new faces, the Jets retained versatile running back Bilal Powell, who will again factor into the offense in a prominent role. Powell should see time in the passing game, playing prominently in the four-minute and two-minute drills, in addition to obvious passing situations.

Forte is capable of playing that role as well, in addition to being an early down banger. Forte did it all with the Bears, and could do it again with the Jets if need be. But, if things go as planned for the Jets, they will not be using Forte in a workhorse, bell cow role. Instead, he will be a part of a committee and time-share system.

Forte has been durable throughout his career, missing only eight games in eight seasons with the Bears. But, his effectiveness has declined in recent seasons, as the wear and tear of being a lead back in the NFL has begun taking its toll on Forte.

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Forte failed to reach the 1,000 yard rushing mark last season for the first time since 2011, when he had 977 yards. He also saw his receiving numbers plummet from 102 receptions and 808 yards in 2014 to only 44 and 389 in 13 games.

It is unlikely that Forte will reach the 1,000 yard mark again this season, as the Jets will use Forte as their starting running back and featured back, but Powell, Robinson and even possibly Zac Stacy will get a chance at playing time as well.

The question remains how much tread that Forte has on his tires, as he has received a huge workload since entering the NFL in 2008. Since he entered the league, Forte leads the NFL in all-purpose yards with 12,718. Factor in his age, and the Jets are making a risky proposition here relying on Forte.

But, as Brian Costello of the New York Post mentions, this is a road that the Jets have gone down before. In 2010, the Jets signed an aging LaDainian Tomlinson trying to squeeze whatever the future Hall of Famer had left in his legs. That season the move worked, as Tomlinson proved he had something left, rushing for 914 yards on 201 carries and catching 52 passes for 368 yards.

Tomlinson totaled six touchdowns on the season, and the Jets are hoping that Forte can have a similar impact. While Tomlinson was a more talented player than Forte, the Jets could use Forte in a similar role that they used Tomlinson in that season, as both players are effective in the running game and passing game.

But, the second year of the Tomlinson experiment ended poorly, as his production fell off a cliff. The Jets are hoping to avoid that this time around with Forte, who has a lot to prove as many pundits have already written him off because of his age and previous workload, including his old team.

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The Jets will do whatever they can to ensure Forte remains healthy and spry during the season, even if it means scaling back his touches. The Jets have capable players to help lessen the workload, but Forte should help add another dimension to the Jets’ offense whenever he is on the field.

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