Tarik Cohen might not be the ultimate “what could have been” player in NFL history, but man, as a Bears fan watching how electric he was for that stint in Chicago, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been if he didn’t get hurt.
According to Adam Schefter, Cohen informed the Jets this morning that effective immediately he will be retiring from foot𝕴ball.
Tarik Cohen Calls It A Career
Cohen, 29, was the Bears’ fourth-round pick in 2017 out of North Carolina A&T. He was an intriguing prospect who was gaining hype around the Draft due to his explosiveness but was mostly seen as a gadget player due to his small stature. In his first two years with Chicago, he certainly proved that he belonged in the NFL.
While he was never a true “between the tackles” back, he was the ultimate dual-threat out of the backfield. In 2017 he amassed over 700 yards of offense and recorded 4 TD (receiving, rushing, & passing) while also making an impact in the return game. In 2018, he scored 9 TDs and recorded over 1,100 yards of total offense and was also named 1st-Team All-Pro as a punt returner.
Unfortunately, just three games into the 2020 season Cohen suffered a brutal knee injury that essentially ended his career. He made a few attempts at comebacks, one of which was in 2022 when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon which was another huge setback. His most recent attempt was this offseason with the Jets, but clearly, he didn’t feel like it was going to stick.
Cohen also battled through mental health issues – both due to his injury struggles and also his family life. In 2022, he wrote a heartbreaking post entitled documenting his family life including the loss of his brothers as well as other off-the-field struggles that anyone would have trouble dealing with.
It’s just sad to see someone, who by all accounts was a great person and a great teammate, deal with so much adversity and have their body fail them. Thankfully for Cohen, he did make life-changing money on a three-year, $17 million contract with the Bears. But even so, having dealt with all he has over the last several years of his life – loss of family members, constant injury issues – it’s impossible not to feel for the guy.
Watching him in his🍃 best days with the Bears, he clearly just had so much damn fun playing football. And to have that taken away so early on in his career is just sad.
Man, I just feel for the guy. But let’s end this thing on a high note and watch some of the most electric moments from Tarik Cohen’s tenure as a Chicago Bear and an NFC North division winner. .
Tarik Cohen, you were RIDICULOUS!
