It’s officially comeback season for Tarik Cohen.
As announced on Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers have signed the former Chicago Bears running back to their practice squad. Reports of the addition first popped up last night, following the 28-year-old’s workout for the team just hours earlier.
Cohen, a Bunn, N.C. native and North Carolina A&T State University product, was a fourth-round pick of the Bears back in 2017. He’d go on to spend four seasons in the Windy City, including his standout 2018 campaign—where he earned First-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods for his work in the return game.
In addition to his prowess on special teams, the 5-foot6, 191-pounder also proved to be an offensive threat. Cohen notched 1,101 rushing yards, 1,575 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns out of the backfield for the Bears.
He spent three of those seasons in Chicago under current Panthers special teams coach Chris Tabor. So if Carolina is still searching for a return man—and perhaps even a spark on offense—the electric ball carrier could have himself a strong advocate in his path back to an NFL field.
Cohen has not played in a regular-season game since Chicago’s Week 3 contest of the 2020 campaign, where he sustained ACL and MCL tears as well as a tibial plateau fracture while taking back a punt. He also tore his Achilles tendon during a workout session last spring.
The Panthers also added wide receiver Mike Strachan to the group. To make room for the additions, the team released running back Spencer Brown and placed cornerback Stantley Thomas-Oliver III on practice squad injured reserve (hamstring).
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