New York Jets Brilliantly Replace Chris Ivory With Matt Forte

New York Jets fans weren’t incredibly pleased on Tuesday when word came down that running back Chris Ivory signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ivory had a career year with the Jets in 2015, and his loss didn’t appear to bode well for the Jets’ prospective playoff chances in 2016.

Just a day later, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan made a major move to curb everyone’s concerns. The Jets have reportedly reached an agreement with former Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte.

Jets make up for the loss of Chris Ivory by signing Matt Forte https://t.co/SiPk5qHOpj

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 9, 2016

Forte, 30, was released by the Bears last month after eight excellent seasons. Even in what many view as a disappointing campaign in 2015 with the Bears, Forte tallied 1,287 total yards (898 rushing, 389 receiving) and seven total touchdowns (four rushing, three receiving) in 13 games.

This indicates he’s still capable of putting up stellar numbers despite hitting the dreaded 30 years old mark, which is oftentimes perceived as the downfall of even the greatest backs.

Forte was a workhorse in Chicago and never received adequate respect for his sensational two-way (rushing, receiving) prowess and ability to stay on the field. He missed just eight of a possible 128 games over his tenure in Chicago, which is nothing short of phenomenal.

Clearly, Forte is still extremely explosive, elusive and capable of making big plays.

Tape on RB Matt Forte: Still has that smooth running style + a lot of value as a receiver. https://t.co/BNKX4jo9sa

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) February 14, 2016

Terms of the deal have yet to be released.

It’s currently unclear what this move means for second-stringer Bilal Powell, who is also a free agent. Powell turned things up a notch during the stretch run, but he isn’t considered an overwhelmingly important piece to New York’s offensive puzzle.

The New England Patriots were thought to be front-runners to land Forte, so it’s fair to assume there was some added incentive in the Jets’ decision to strike before Bill Belichick and Co. were able to.