NEWSLETTER
Allen Robinson isn’t the only high-profile extension the Bears are working to iron out this weekend.
During a hit on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” program on Saturday, Mike Garafolo slipped in a nugget to watch for a potential Tarik Cohen extension coming down the pipeline. Cohen, who lobbied for a Robinson extension this week, is in the final year of his rookie deal and Garafolo believes an extension could be in the works soon.
Cohen, 25, was a first-team All-Pro returner in 2018. But his 2019 production took a hit. Cohen’s all-purpose numbers were worse than what he produced as a rookie. Even still … Cohen is a multi-use player who has value in this scheme. He is a running back, slot receiver, pass-catcher out of the backfield, special teams contributor, Wildcat QB, and more. Because he is as a jack-of-many-trades back, the cost of an extension doesn’t figure to be a bank-breaking figure. Hence, it’s sensible for the Bears to try to come to a deal with a player they drafted, developed, and ultimately like.
Of course, there’s a wrinkle in the race to it done. If an extension is to be official for Sunday, an agreement must come while working against the clock. Details from Garafolo’s NFL Network teammate Ian Rapoport:
The #Bears and RB Tarik Cohen have had fruitful discussions about a contract extension, sources say, and there is a push to get it done today in advance of Week 2. The deadline for a signed deal is 3:59 pm today to be official for Sunday & it’s a real possibility. Stay tuned…
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2020
To be clear, this deadline isn’t a drop-dead date to get a deal done. It’s just a deadline for it to be effective by tomorrow. Maybe there are some cap-related implications or benefits to getting a deal done before said deadline. I wouldn’t put it past GM Ryan Pace and his staff to massage this in a way that benefits Chicago’s flexibility. In any case, the Bears have until 3:59 p.m. ET to make this happen in order to have it in the books before the start of Week 2.
So … stay tuned?
