Cohen informed the Jets on Thursday that he's retiring from football, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 29-year-old last played in a game Week 3 of 2020, when he suffered an ACL tear that cost him the rest of that season and all of the next one. He suffered an Achilles' tear in spring of 2022 and spent most of 2023 with Carolina's practice squad, but reports out of Jets training camp this summer suggested Cohen had regained some of his old explosiveness and was a viable candidate for return work. Xavier Gipson remains the most likely Jet to make an impact there, and Cohen may have sensed that he was unlikely to earn a roster spot as a backup return specialist without much value on offense. Whatever the case, he's retiring after a week of training camp practices.
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Jets' Tarik Cohen: Signing with Gang Green
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Cohen agreed to a one-year contract with the Jets on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cohen will turn 29 years old in July and hasn't played in an NFL game since Week 3 of the 2020 season, when he suffered an ACL tear that derailed a promising career. He missed all of 2021 while rehabbing from the knee injury and all of 2022 after suffering a torn Achilles' tendon during the spring. Cohen then landed with the Panthers in 2023 and spent most of the season on their practice squad, but he struggled with a hamstring injury, never got a promotion and ultimately was released in early May. He's unlikely to make noise in a backfield that has Breece Hall and two incoming draft picks, but Cohen should get a look on kick and punt returns this offseason.
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Tarik Cohen: Released by Carolina
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The Panthers released Cohen on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 2017 fourth-round pick was an effective passing-down back and punt returner for three full seasons before suffering an ACL tear Week 3 of 2020. He hasn't played in a game since, with an Achilles' tear in May 2022 further setting him back. Cohen spent most of last season on Carolina's practice squad, where he dealt with a hamstring injury for nearly two months and never earned a promotion to the roster. He'll turn 29 this summer and still has plenty of time to find another team before training camp if he wants to continue pursuing an NFL career.
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Panthers' Tarik Cohen: Signs with Panthers
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The Panthers signed Cohen to a reserve/future contract Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.
Cohen joined the Panthers' practice squad Sept. 12 after recovering from a May 2022 right Achilles tear. He was not elevated to the active roster and has not played an NFL game since the 2020 season. The 2017 fourth-round pick will have an opportunity to make the Panthers' 53-man roster for the 2024 season.
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Tarik Cohen: Healthy again
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The Panthers restored Cohen (hamstring) from the practice squad/injured list Wednesday.
Cohen had been on the practice squad/injured list since Nov. 6, but he's healthy again and thus could be an option to join Carolina's roster for one or both of the team's final two games of the season. The 28-year-old running back hasn't played in an NFL game since the 2020 campaign.
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Tarik Cohen: Goes to practice squad injured list
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Carolina placed Cohen (hamstring) on its practice squad injured list Monday, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.
The transaction means Cohen won't be eligible to be promoted to the active roster for at least the next four games. If he is eventually going to log his first regular-season action since Week 3 of the 2020 campaign, the earliest he'll have a chance to do so will be in Week 14 against the Saints.
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Tarik Cohen: Signing with Carolina
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Cohen is expected to be signed to the Panthers' practice squad Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cohen worked out with the team Tuesday and he appears to have impressed Carolina enough to earn a shot with their practice squad. The running back hasn't appeared in an NFL contest since suffering a torn ACL in 2020, but when healthy, he's proven himself as a dual-threat option out of the backfield.
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Tarik Cohen: Has tryout with Panthers
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Cohen worked out for Carolina on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Cohen is finally 100 percent after suffering a torn ACL and then a torn Achilles along with numerous setbacks since he last played with the Bears in 2020. The 28-year-old had previously stated in August that he wanted to attempt a return to the NFL, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. If the workout is successful, and he ultimately signs, he'll likely be expected to start out on the team's practice squad.
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Tarik Cohen: Suffers torn Achilles
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Cohen (knee) was diagnosed with a torn Achilles on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The 26-year-old sustained the injury during a training session, and he underwent an MRI on Tuesday. Cohen hasn't seen the field since suffering a torn ACL during Week 3 of the 2020 campaign, and he's now likely to be unavailable for most, if not all, of the upcoming season.
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Tarik Cohen: Appears to suffer setback
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Cohen (knee) appears to have suffered a setback Tuesday during an offseason workout, Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire reports.
Cohen has struggled to battle back from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 3 of the 2020 season and was released by the Bears with an injury designation after not appearing during the 2021 campaign. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported earlier in the offseason that Cohen was hoping to be available for the 2022 season, but his latest setback -- which appeared to be an Achilles injury -- may dash those hopes.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Misses 2021 season
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Cohen never saw the field for the Bears in 2021, as he was recovering from a knee injury suffered in 2020.
Although the team was hopeful to have Cohen back to start the 2021 season, setbacks he suffered along the way led to him requiring an additional surgery, and he never returned to action. He's signed through 2023, and if he's healthy coming into the 2022 season, his salary over the next two seasons could make him difficult to keep him off of the active roster. Unless he proves to be fully healthy and ready to resume a prominent pass-catching role, he'll likely go unselected in many 2022 fantasy drafts.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Rehabbing after setbacks
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Bears head coach Matt Nagy wasn't optimistic when asked Wednesday about a potential 2021 return for Cohen, who has suffered setbacks in his recovery from a torn ACL, even requiring an additional surgery, Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic report.
Nagy noted that Cohen has stuck around the team facility and remained aggressive in his rehab effort, though it may not pay off for the running back this season given the need for a second surgery. Cohen is now about 14 months removed from the initial ACL injury, which he suffered Week 3 of the 2020 season.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Goes on reserve/PUP list
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Cohen (knee) reverted to the reserve/PUP list Tuesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Cohen sustained an ACL tear in his right knee Week 3 of last season. His recovery process hasn't allowed for any practice reps in the meantime, and his placement on this reserve list means he'll miss at least the first six games of the 2021 campaign. With Cohen's fate sealed in the short term, the Bears backfield will continue to be the domain of David Montgomery, but veteran Damien Williams is on hand for complementary work.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Held out of minicamp
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Cohen (knee) didn't participate in June minicamp and looked "a bit stiff" walking around with his right leg wrapped, according to Mark Grote of WSCR Radio.
Cohen tore his ACL in late September, giving him more than 11 months for recovery and rehab fore Week 1 of the 2021 campaign. It's generally been assumed he'd be ready, but the reports from minicamp suggest we can't take it for granted. The Bears seemingly can afford to take a cautious approach, with David Montgomery and Damien Williams providing plenty of experience in the backfield. Between Montgomery's late-2020 breakout and Williams' solid work in Kansas City, it's fair to wonder if Cohen is looking at a reduce role this season, health aside.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Joined by Damien Williams
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The Bears have signed Damien Williams to join Cohen (knee) and David Montgomery in the backfield, ESPN reports.
Montgomery's strong finish to 2020 locks him in as the lead ballcarrier, but it's less clear how targets will be divided between three above-average pass catchers. Cohen is the best route-runner of the bunch, but he's too small to be an effective blocker, and he might need some time to regain his explosiveness after suffering an ACL tear in late September. While a repeat of his target totals from 2018 (91) or 2019 (104) thus seems unlikely, Cohen should still be a significant contributor to the Bears in 2021, the first season of his three-year extension. His $1.4 million base salary this year is guaranteed, but he doesn't have any guarantees remaining thereafter.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Shifting to IR
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Cohen (knee - ACL) will be placed on injured reserve Monday.
Cohen suffered a season-ending torn ACL during Sunday's win over the Falcons, so his placement on IR was only ever a matter of time. The move leaves Ryan Nall as the top backup to David Montgomery, though Cordarrelle Patterson is a likely candidate to see increased backfield snaps with Cohen out. The Bears may also see fit to promote Artavis Pierce from the practice squad.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: ACL tear feared
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The Bears fear that Cohen tore his ACL during Sunday's win over the Falcons, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Cohen will undergo tests to confirm the severity of his knee injury, but it looks like the Bears will need to to redistribute Cohen's backfield touches behind David Montgomery to some combo of Cordarrelle Patterson and Ryan Nall.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Receives six touches
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Cohen rushed five times for 12 yards and caught his only target for 15 yards in the Bears' 17-13 victory over the Giants on Sunday.
Cohen was an afterthought in the Chicago offense, as he saw fewer rushing attempts than Cordarrelle Patterson and fewer targets than David Montgomery. Unless his role in the offense drastically changes, it'll be difficult to use Cohen with confidence when setting fantasy lineups.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Receives nine touches
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Cohen rushed seven times for 41 yards while catching both of his targets for an additional six yards in Chicago's 27-23 win over the Lions on Sunday.
With the Bears trailing throughout the second half, it was disappointing that Cohen only saw a pair of targets. However, with the Detroit defensive front failing to provide much penetration at the line of scrimmage, Cohen was productive on his limited rushing attempts. As the clear second running back, his fantasy value lacks the upside to make him a strong consideration unless he's consistently productive in the passing game.
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Bears' Tarik Cohen: Targeted nine times
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Cohen caught nine passes for 44 yards and rushed four times for 20 yards in the Bears' 21-19 win over the Vikings in Week 17, and he ended the campaign with 213 rushing yards, 456 receiving yards and three scores .
After posting over 1,150 yards and eight touchdowns in 2018, Cohen was a massive disappointment this season, as he barely managed three yards per carry and six yards per reception. Despite his lack of production, he actually saw an increase from the 91 targets he had last season, but aside from PPR leagues, he had very little fantasy value. Going into the last year of his rookie contract in 2020, he'll likely be considered as little more than a depth option at running back in fantasy drafts.
