NFL Rumors: Tarik Cohen Signs Jets Contract, Joins Aaron Rodgers; Last Played in 2020

The New York Jets are reportedly adding a 2018 First-Team All-Pro selection to their running back depth chart.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that New York agreed to a one-year deal with former Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen. He hasn't played an NFL game since the 2020 campaign but will attempt a comeback with the Aaron Rodgers-led offense.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh pointed to the NFL's new kickoff rules for this season when discussing what Cohen can bring to the team:

Cohen is still just 28 years old, but significant injuries cut his time with the Bears short.

As Tori Rubinstein of NBC Sports Chicago detailed, he suffered a torn ACL, torn MCL and tibial plateau fracture after just three games in 2020. He then ruptured his Achilles during a workout in 2022 and underwent surgery.

He was working toward a potential comeback with the Carolina Panthers and was part of the team's practice squad last year. However, the NFC South team placed him on practice squad injured reserve in November with a hamstring issue.

The Panthers then released him earlier this month.

There was a time when Cohen was an explosive playmaker who impacted the game as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and a special teams force. He was a Pro Bowler and All-Pro selection in that 2018 season with 444 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to go with 71 catches for 725 yards and five touchdowns.

Cohen also led the NFL with 411 punt-return yards that season.

He followed with a career-high 79 catches in 2019 but was unable to build on that thanks to the injuries in 2020.

Now he will attempt to carve out a role with a Jets team that doesn't have much proven running back depth behind starter Breece Hall. Perhaps he could also contribute on special teams after New York was a middling 14th in the league in average yards per punt return last year.