The Carolina Panthers have unfortunately ended the Tarik Cohen experiment, releasing the former All-Pro running back, via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Cohen has not played in a game since the 2020 NFL campaign, but the Panthers decided to give him a shot when they signed him to their practice squad last September. Obviously, Carolina was hoping that Cohen could recapture some of his former glory from his Chicago Bears days.
Sadly, Cohen was never able to make it on to the field, leading to his eventual release this week.
Given that the Panthers' backfield is now pretty crowded with Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders and second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, their decision to part ways with Cohen does not come as too much of a surprise.
It was going to be exceedingly difficult for Cohen to earn legitimate playing time in Carolina, so the Panthers decided to cut him now before even getting him into training camp.
Is this the end of the road for Tarik Cohen in the NFL?
There was a time when Cohen was one of the most electric weapons in football.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at North Carolina A&T, was originally selected by the Bears in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Cohen went on to flash fantastic versatility during his rookie campaign, rushing for 370 yards and a couple of touchdowns while also catching 53 passes for 353 yards and a score. Additionally, he returned 29 punts and 22 kickoffs, punching in a punt-return touchdown.
The following season, Cohen was even better, rattling off 444 yards and three scores as a rusher while hauling in 71 receptions for 725 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield. On top of that, he led the league with 411 punt-return yards. Cohen's do-it-all stat line earned him a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
He went on to snare a career-high 79 balls through the air in 2019, but his rushing numbers and special teams stats took a bit of a dip.
Then, after signing a three-year contract extension with Chicago in September 2020, Cohen tragically tore both his ACL and MCL while also suffering a tibial plateau fracture in Week 3 of that season. He proceeded to miss the entire 2021 campaign and was then ultimately released by the Bears in March 2022. Two months later, he tore his Achilles during a training session.
Cohen was cleared to play last August and was doing everything he could to get back on to the field, but it seems painfully obvious that his football playing days are probably over. At least in terms of getting regular snaps on an NFL team.
Perhaps another club will give Cohen a shot heading into 2024, but given that he hasn't seen meaningful action in almost four years and has sustained some of the most gruesome injuries one can imagine, it seems unlikely that the Bunn, N.C. native will be able to find another chance somewhere.
We'll see what the future holds for Cohen, but it seems like this is a tragic end to what appeared to be a very promising NFL career.
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