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Running back Matt Forte is back with the Bears after skipping the early phases of the team’s voluntary offseason work while working out on his own.
Those workouts, described as “rigorous speed training,” came as Forte enters the final year of his contract and that led to speculation that Forte’s absence was designed to get the Bears to extend his contract. Forte said he does want a new contract, but that he wasn’t staying away as leverage to get it and that he wouldn’t hold himself out of mandatory practices.
Forte stuck to that script Wednesday.