Former Bears RB Tarik Cohen, out of NFL since ‘20, gets 2nd chance with Panthers
Cohen led the 2018 Bears with 1,169 yards of total offense.
AP Photos
Former Bears running back and return man Tarik Cohen, who has been out of the NFL since tearing his ACL early in the 2020 season, got a tryout Tuesday with the Panthers.
ESPN reported Cohen expects to sign to the practice squad Wednesday.
Cohen, 28, was the Bears’ best offensive player when they won the NFC North in 2018, but his injuries have been brutal. The torn ACL cost him the rest of that season and the next, and in May 2022 he tore his Achilles tendon during a workout he was livestreaming on Instagram.
That was shortly after the Bears released him, a move Cohen said recently “hurt my heart.”
They signed him to a three-year, $17.3 million contract extension a week before he tore his ACL. He received $12.2 million of that, according to Spotrac.
The Bears drafted Cohen in the fourth round in 2017, and he quickly developed into a dangerous player as a runner and receiver. He averaged 52.5 yards of offense per game during his Bears career. He also returned one punt for a touchdown and was an All-Pro returner in 2018.
The tryout with Carolina could help him relaunch his career. Panthers special teams coordinator Chris Tabor held that position for the Bears from 2018 through ’21.