Getty Bears RB Tarik Cohen spoke out about his injury for the first time this season.
Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen hasn’t spoken to the media yet this year about his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered Week 3 of his 2020 campaign.
Cohen has been on the physically unable to perform list all season, and all signs point to the speedy gadget back not playing at all this year. Brad Biggs of The Chicago-Tribune reported in early October that Cohen was still noticeably favoring his surgically repaired knee, and that he may not return until 2022.
The running back broke his silence about his recovery in a series of tweets on November 18 — and it sounds like Biggs is right.
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Cohen: ‘I’m a Pure F****** Competitor’
“Y’all couldn’t imagine how much i miss playing football,” Cohen wrote in the first of three tweets.
Y’all couldn’t imagine how much i miss playing football.
Then, in an apparent response to a few fans questioning his desire to play the game he loves, Cohen got a bit heated in a NSFW tweet, insisting he would be playing if he had any say in the matter.
“Just think about it, why tf would I be sitting out on purpose. Im a COMPETITOR. A pure f****** competitor. People talk just to talk,” Cohen tweeted minutes later.
Just think about it , why tf would I be sitting out on purpose. Im a COMPETITOR. A pure fucking competitor. People talk just to talk.
The All-Pro punt returner then wrapped his series of tweets up with this sentiment:
Done venting now. Been a min…
Patrick Finley of The Chicago Sun-Times noted Cohen seemed “frustrated,” which is understandable, considering his situation — it’s clear Cohen wants to be on the field but cannot.
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Bears Have Not Revealed Whether Cohen Suffered Setback Injury
When asked if Cohen suffered some sort of setback in his recovery after his initial surgery, Bears head coach Matt Nagy refused to confirm or deny whether or not that was the case.
The last thing Nagy said about Cohen’s recovery was this on October 20: “I think that he’s very similar to where he’s been at. The only thing I can say about him is, he works hard. I see him every single day. He’s trying to do everything he can. I appreciate him.”
Nagy has refused to put a timetable on Cohen’s return all year, and it’s becoming more clear why. Whether there was a setback, or the recovery process is taking longer than the team had hoped, Cohen isn’t close to being ready. It also seems obvious based on Cohen’s recent tweets that Finley is correct — the running back is frustrated he’s not able to return yet.
Cohen’s role with the Bears — punt returner and versatile gadget-back — was significant, and the offense could use the dynamic plays he once provided. He was eligible to come off the PUP list in mid-October, but the fact that we’re heading towards December and he’s tweeting about how much he misses the game strongly suggests we won’t see him in action until next season at the earliest, which is unfortunate.
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