"Running back Matt Forte, who is on pace to break team records, isn't feeling the love from the Bears. And he's starting to wonder if his durability is being taken for granted.

''The running back position is the most physically demanding on the field,'' Forte said Tuesday. ''Everyone acknowledges that. So to continue to give me the touches I've had since my rookie year but not award me a long-term contract sends the message that you're OK grinding me into a pulp.''

Forte hasn't missed a game since being taken in the second round of the 2008 draft, playing through an assortment of injuries, particularly in 2009. But he rebounded in 2010 and leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage this season with 1,091."