The Chicago Bears did well this offseason in bolstering the running backs room, a place where their lack of depth was exposed throughout the 2020 season.
And they should be glad the front office double-dipped in offseason additions, because the reality of Tarik Cohen not being back any time soon is beginning to set in:
Matt Nagy's response to a yes-or-no question on whether Bears RB Tarik Cohen had a second surgery after the initial one to repair his torn ACL– pic.twitter.com/rPgxty5wwZ
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) August 30, 2021
W-what is Matt Nagy even saying here?
Not only does Nagy avoid answering the question, he further muddies any chance at clarification with a reply that is little more than word salad. Maybe Nagy has nothing to say about the timeline because there isn’t one. Last week, Nagy said there was no timetable for Cohen’s return. So how can a timeline change when one didn’t exist in the first place?
In any case, Tarik Cohen remains on the PUP List. Cohen appears likely to start the season on injured reserve. And that idea, on its own, is a total bummer. To be fair, it makes sense if this is the route the Bears choose. Cohen hasn’t been practicing at training camp or playing in the preseason. And while this isn’t the worst-case scenario, it stinks. I suppose there is a silver lining. But you need to squint to be willing to see it.
Cohen landing on IR would conceivably open up a roster spot for someone else. And that is notable since Nick Foles’ situation will likely force the Bears into carrying three quarterbacks. In the meantime, an IR stint could providing the running back-slash-return specialist to build up the strength to come back without the pressure that could come with rushing to return. Remember, the NFL made a change to its IR rules, with the noteworthy modification that allows for an unlimited number of players to return from IR.
Even still … this isn’t where the Bears want to be with a multi-purpose potential game-breaker who signed an extension before suffering an ACL injury that put an early end to his 2020 season. We’ll continue monitoring the situation as more details develop. But for now, things aren’t looking all that great. At least the Bears have usable depth with Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert.