One of the biggest surprises of the 2021 season had to be Tarik Cohen. The former All-Pro punt return and dynamic
Chicago Bears running back suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the 2020 season. While an unfortunate setback at the time, most felt he'd be back and ready to go by the start of this past year. Then Cohen missed training camp. Then he landed on the PUP list for the first six weeks. When that deadline came and went, people, started to realize the shocking truth. He wasn't going to play at all for the entire season.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the team. Cohen had been a big part of their offense since being drafted in 2017. A versatile weapon that defenses had trouble game planning against. ACL tears usually take about nine months to recover. Training camp last year would've been his 11th month based on that timeline—more than enough time for him to make a full recovery. Going on and missing all 17 games led people to wonder what went wrong.
The lack of clarity from the team and the man himself made it frustrating.
Finally, after over a year of silence, Cohen seemed to come clean on what happened. During an appearance on the
Rally House show, he received a question from a young fan about his recovery and how it was going. Cohen was surprisingly forthright. He indicated that the big reason he didn't return wasn't due to any setback. It was more a case of fear. Of him feeling like he wasn't the same player he'd been before the injury.
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This helps to shed light on what the recovery process can be like. While fans may have plenty of optimism in such cases, they're not the ones going through the grind of trying to return. It can be a harrowing experience. Not just getting back into shape after months of being laid up but also rediscovering confidence in his own body. Such a significant injury leads many to question whether they can ever be the same player again.
That is what Tarik Cohen went through
The good news is the knee should be 100% by now. He's had more than enough time to get it right and learn how to run with it again. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since the running back played a snap for the Bears. GM Ryan Pace is gone. The man that drafted him in 2017 and handed him a new contract in 2020. When something like this happens and a new GM comes in, there are reasons to think certain players may no longer be as safe as they once were.
Tarik Cohen is one of those players. Ryan Poles didn't draft him and likely isn't wild about the idea of paying a running back $5.75 million this season. Especially one that hasn't returned from a knee injury in over a year. Poles has indicated he is going to prioritize toughness on this Bears team. Fair or not, Cohen might not be viewed in the best light by this regime.
Especially when cutting him would secure them another $2.25 million in cap space.
It would not be a surprise if the two sides parted ways. The Bears need the money and maybe Cohen needs a fresh start. This team already has two high-quality backs in David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. That extra cap space can be applied at positions of greater need like the offensive line, wide receiver, and cornerback.
