It seems unlikely that former Pro-Bowler will return to the Chicago Bears in 2022
General manager Ryan Poles wouldn't explicitly say it on Tuesday, but it's starting to feel extremely unlikely that running back Tarik Cohen is back with the Chicago Bears in 2022. Cohen missed all of last season while still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in week three of the 2020 season. “I don’t […]
General manager Ryan Poles wouldn't explicitly say it on Tuesday, but it's starting to feel extremely unlikely that running back Tarik Cohen is back with the Chicago Bears in 2022.
Cohen missed all of last season while still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in week three of the 2020 season.
“I don’t really want to get into the medical piece of individual players,” said Poles on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine. "But we’ll just take it a day at a time to figure out where he’s at for us.”
“It just comes down to that communication and conversations…(head athletic trainer) Andre Tucker’s one of the best in the league and we’re just going to have those conversations to see where everything stands and make the best decision we can make at that time,” added Poles.
When Poles said "at that time" he seems to be referring to a specific date for a decision.
$2.5 million of Cohen's salary will become guaranteed this month (per Spotrac). I'm guessing that would be the "at that time" that Poles is referencing.
Considering the Bears aren't going to hit the field for a few months, I don't think there's any way they see something from Cohen that will make them optimistic that he can return to his 2018 form (when he reached the Pro-Bowl). The far more likely outcome is that Chicago releases Cohen, saves some cash, and looks for other options at the position.
It's been nearly two years since Cohen has played in the NFL. It's hard to justify giving him a shot in 2022 when the Bears have no idea what he'll look like when he finally does return to the field.
Featured image via David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
