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Former Bears RB Tarik Cohen reportedly tears Achilles while live-streaming workout

jason owens
Staff writer
·2 min read
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 21: Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen (29) looks on during a preseason game between the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills on August 21, 2021 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tarik Cohen is attempting an NFL comeback amid personal tragedy and a lengthy layoff from a devastating knee injury. (Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Former Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen reportedly tore his Achilles tendon while working out on Tuesday, delivering a brutal blow to his NFL comeback effort.

Cohen streamed the workout on Instagram Live. While performing a running drill, he fell to the ground and clutched his lower-right leg in pain. A trainer approached Cohen to speak with him before turning the camera off.

ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that an MRI confirmed that Cohen tore his Achilles tendon.

Cohen, 26, played four seasons with the Chicago Bears and made a Pro Bowl in 2018. He was a fan-favorite for his playmaking abilities as a runner, pass catcher and punt returner. He hasn't played since 2020 when he sustained a significant knee injury.

Cohen attempting NFL comeback from injury amid personal tragedy

Cohen injured his knee while fielding a fair catch in Week 3 of the 2020 season against the Atlanta Falcons, leaving him with a torn ACL, MCL and tibial plateau fracture. The injury cost him the rest of the season and the entire 2021 season. The Bears released Cohen in March with an injury designation as he still wasn't able to pass a physical.

Cohen wrote a piece for The Players' Tribune on May 10 titled "Letter to My Younger Self." In it, he detailed tragedies in his life, including the death of his twin brother Tyrell, who was electrocuted at a North Carolina electrical substation in 2021. According to an editor's note in The Players' Tribune piece, his younger brother Dante died in April in a car accident after Tarik wrote the essay and prior to its publication.

He wrote in the essay about what an NFL comeback means to him.

“You’re going to survive, though,” Cohen wrote. “You’re going to figure out how to look at the future with hope, and see that even with everything you’ve been through, better days can exist ahead.

“At the time when I’m writing you this letter, it’s been more than 18 months since you last played in the NFL. It’s a few weeks since you got released by the Bears. And you better believe you have something to prove.”

Cohen remains a free agent with Tuesday's injury casting doubt over his NFL future.