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Tarik Cohen is putting in work.
The speedy running back and All-Pro punt returner for the Chicago Bears has been recovering from a torn ACL sustained Week 3 of the 2020 season, and while he has yet to see action in practice, he posted a video on his Instagram story of himself on August 11 working out out on a rowing machine. While videos shared in that format disappear within 24 hours, Bears sideline reporter Mark Grote captured a still image of Cohen’s workout, which looked rigorous enough to be an encouraging sign.
Grote tweeted on July 29 that Cohen was “still walking gingerly” on the sidelines during the first week of training camp, and while head coach Matt Nagy has been non-committal about the running back’s return, he’s clearly working hard with the aim of returning as soon as possible.
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Cohen’s Return Could Be Later Rather Than Sooner
Cohen is still on the physically-unable-to-perform list, and the Bears have made no secret they plan to bring him back when he’s good and ready. “With Tarik starting off on PUP, it allows us to bring him along at the right rate,” Bears general manager Ryan Pace said about Cohen on July 27. “He’s been working his tail off. He’s been here every single day grinding. It allows us to take our time as he continues to rehab. So we’ll see where that goes, but with him on PUP, we don’t have to rush anything.”
On August 3, when he was asked if Cohen’s return was looking more like days or weeks, Nagy said this: “I would not say days, you know. I would lean more toward weeks for him. I don’t want to put a timeline.”
The Bears coach then modified his stance slightly on August 5: “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.”
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Nagy Looking to Use Cohen in Similar Fashion to 2018 Season
Whenever he returns to the lineup, the Bears head coach says he’s looking to employ Cohen in a similar fashion to the way he did in 2018. “He showed in ’18 the different ways you can use him,” Nagy said on August 3, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “The coordinators I talked to, that was one of the No. 1 guys everyone wanted to stop.”
The 2018 season Nagy referenced was Cohen’s best as a pro. He earned a 73.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, and an impressively high 86.0 receiving grade. He played 307 snaps as a receiver that year, with Nagy often lining him up wide outside or in the slot. He had career highs in receiving yards (725), yards per reception (10.2) and receiving scores (5), and he also had 44 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground.
Considering his recent knee injury, it’s unlikely the Bears will have him return punts at all this season. Expect lots of quick, short passes to start for Cohen, who will likely have a lighter load whenever he works his way back.
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