Getty Tarik Cohen of the Chicago Bears has yet to practice after tearing his ACL Week 3 last season.
The return of Tarik Cohen remains one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the Chicago Bears this upcoming season.
The play-making gadget back and All-Pro punt returner has been recovering from a torn ACL sustained Week 3 of last season, and considering Cohen was spotted walking with a limp and favoring his leg at the start of training camp, he very likely won’t be ready until after the regular season begins.
When he was asked on August 3 whether Cohen’s return would be a matter of days or a matter of weeks, Bears head coach Matt Nagy said one thing before backtracking a few days later.
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It’s Looking Like Later Rather Than Sooner for Cohen
When speaking with the media on August 3, Nagy said this when asked about Cohen’s return:
“I would not say days, you know. I would lean more toward weeks for him. I don’t want to put a timeline. Like you say that, and that is very general for me. It’s all going to be day-by-day on how much growth he has or improvement. … I just feel like he is doing everything he can to get that thing right. So, I hate to put a benchmark on it or a time frame, you know. It’s just neat seeing him rehab and in the meantime that is all we can ask him to do.”
Then, a few days later on August 5, Nagy said this about Cohen when initially asked about rookie tackle Teven Jenkins’ injury:
“I thought about this after we talked the other day when you all asked me that question about Tarik Cohen. I don’t think that was fair what I said to Tarik in regards to days and weeks. That’s not fair to somebody … to put a timeline on somebody. These guys are all different in how they react to things and what they do.”
Very true. It’s good Chicago is being cautious with Cohen’s return. ACL tears aren’t the type of injuries you rush back from, and Chicago has managed to find a few capable role players in Cohen’s absence.
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Bears Have Solid Replacements for Cohen on Special Teams & in Backfield
Former Kansas City Chiefs postseason standout Damien Williams should be more than capable of filling Cohen’s shoes in the backfield. Williams played in 27 games in his two seasons with the Chiefs, starting nine. He rushed for 754 yards on 161 carries (that’s 4.7 yards per carry) with 13 total touchdowns.
“He’s been great,” Nagy said about Williams. “He understands the offense. There’s some changes that we have versus what he’s been through there in particular in Kansas City, but him and David (Montgomery)and Tarik, they’ve all really taken over that room and they fit really well together. As far as the player on the field, I think it goes to show what he can do not only as a ball carrier but as a pass catcher.”
As for who might take Cohen’s role as the team’s primary punt returner, rookie Khalil Herbert has been the only player getting reps in that role, per Nicholas Moreno of the Chicago Audible.
Khalil Herbert has been the only one getting the punt return reps in this team period so far.
While at Kansas and Virginia Tech, Herbert returned kicks, not punts, but he was quite good at it. He returned 18 kicks during his college days, averaging 24.8 yards per return. Based on early events in training camp, it’s looking like he’ll be the one filling Cohen’s role on special teams.
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