Former Bears All-Pro RB Tarik Cohen pursuing NFL comeback after missing last two seasons with injuries

After two seasons out of football, Tarik Cohen is seeking a comeback. The former Chicago Bears All-Pro running back is healthy and ready to work out for NFL teams after spending the last two years recovering from knee injuries, according to his agents (via ESPN). 

The Bears, who drafted Cohen in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, released him with an injury designation in March. Cohen, who missed the entire 2021 campaign with knee injuries, didn’t play last year after tearing his Achilles during a workout. Cohen’s knee injuries limited him to just three games in 2020. 

Cohen, 28, was enjoying a highly productive career before he started running into injuries. He amassed nearly 1,600 all-purpose yards during his rookie season. Cohen blossomed into an All-Pro performer in 2018, catching 71 passes for 725 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 444 yards and three touchdowns. He also led the NFL in punt return yardage while that season helping the Bears capture the NFC North division crown. Cohen followed that up with a career-high 79-catch season in 2019. 

“I want to be the player that I was before I got hurt,” Cohen said on a Rally House Q&A in February of 2022. “I won’t let myself come back before I’m ready and before I feel like I can put the same performances on that I was putting on before I got hurt.”

Several teams may be interested in signing Cohen as a third-down specialist. The Broncos, Dolphins, Lions and Chiefs are among the teams that could make sense for Cohen, who is surely trying to land on a roster somewhere before the start of the regular season.