The Bears Might Have Found Their Answer At Punt Returner

On Tuesday morning, Adam Schefter announced that Tarik Cohen, former Chicago Bears running back, is now fully recovered from his ACL injury and ready to participate in NFL workouts. According to his agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha, Cohen is eager to continue his NFL career.

Should The Bears Workout Tarik Cohen?

When I read Schefter’s report, I instantly remembered how electric Tarik Cohen was when he played for the Bears. Between 2017 and 2019, he had 203 receptions for 1,534 yards and rushed 250 times for 1,027 yards. He was also as an All-Pro punt returner in 2018. The Bears currently have players like Velus Jones Jr. and Tyler Scott on the roster that could field punts, but they haven’t proven themselves at the NFL level yet. Scott lacks experience, and honestly, Velus has simply struggled with just catching the ball and making good decisions.

Tarik Cohen was a weapon at returning kicks when he was healthy. The big question now is whether he can perform as well as he did before his injury. I’m not very confident that he’ll be exactly the same as before, but even if he’s 90% of his former self, I think he’s worth looking into. The Bears still have about $15 million in cap space, so if they decide to sign Cohen for like a 1-year prove it deal, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

But before any contract talks begin, the Bears need to assess Cohen’s ability. Is he still as fast as he used to be? Can he still change direction and accelerate quickly? Those are the things they need to find out before they can even consider bringing him back. It would definitely be an interesting storyline. A great comeback story.

Regardless of where he ends up, I’m rooting for Cohen to find a spot on an NFL roster.