Bear Digest

Jets Give Former Bear Tarik Cohen Another Comeback Chance

After two failed comebacks from several injuries and a tragic family situation, Tarik Cohen is getting another shot at the NFL in New York.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tarik Cohen in 2020 at Soldier Field, a week before his career took a sudden, complete turn downward.
Tarik Cohen in 2020 at Soldier Field, a week before his career took a sudden, complete turn downward. | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

Former Bears return man/running back/gadget guy Tarik Cohen is getting another shot at a comeback.

After his bid to make it back in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers failed, the Jets have signed him, the team has confirmed.

"Tarik—explosive playmaker, he's starting to get back healthy," Jets coach Robert Saleh said. "With the new kickoff rule, these kick returners—they're gonna touch the ball over a hundred times a year, which is significant.

"A guy like him, he's still young... we're excited to have him aboard."

One of the more popular Bears players with fans and teammates, Cohen's career has been crashing downward since the early 2020 season, after he had been All-Pro and in the Pro Bowl for the 2018 season as a return man.

In Week 3 that year Cohen was off to a good start trying to bounce back after an off-season in 2019. He made a fair catch signal at Atlanta and was hit in the leg, resulting in a torn ACL, MCL and broken right leg. The severity of the injury caused Cohen to miss all of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

The injury came right after the 2017 fourth-round pick had signed a three-year, $17.3 million deal.

Cohen, who is 28 years old, then suffered a torn Achilles tendon while doing rehab.

His days with the Bears ended then and last year he was on the Carolina Panthers practice squad but was later cut. So he hasn't played since the 2020 season. 

Compounding all of this for his family was the loss of both of his brothers in unusual circumstances, twin brother Tyrell to an accidental electrocution and younger brother Dante in a car accident after a period when he had been in and out of jail and was paralyzed from the waste down after being shot.

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Cohen averaged 4.2 yards per carry over and caught 209 passes for 1,575 yards for the Bears over 3-plus seasons. On special teams, he was an asset as a punt returner with a 10.3-yard average for 96 attempts. He hadn't been much help as a kick returner, averaging 20.9 yards on 30 attempts and only four tries after his rookie year.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.