Everyone loves a comeback story in sports, and the NFL might be the toughest professional sport to try to pull one off, given the brutal nature of the game and how short the shelf life is for even its most talented players.
One former All-Pro was attempting to get back into the league after years away due to injury, but he is ending that pursuit and hanging up his cleats for good.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Tarik Cohen informed the New York Jets he is retiring immediately and ending his comeback attempt from multiple severe leg injuries.
Sources: Former Bears’ RB Tarik Cohen, who was attempting to come back from assorted knee injuries throughout his NFL career, informed the Jets today that he is retiring from football, effectively immediately. At his peak, Cohen was one of the NFL’s most explosive players. pic.twitter.com/RDvVRDU2xg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2024
Cohen said very recently that he felt all the way back from his most recent injury and was excited about making his return for the Jets, but for reasons he has yet to make public, he decided to step away instead.
Primarily a running back, he was a first-team All-Pro in 2018 for the Chicago Bears when he led the NFL in punt return yardage while also compiling 1,169 yards from scrimmage.
He retires at age 29 after not appearing in an NFL game since 2020 following a torn ACL and a subsequent 2022 Achilles tear suffered while streaming a workout on Instagram Live.
Cohen was hoping to revive his career given the NFL’s new kickoff format and was serving primarily as a special teams weapon in Jets camp.
It’s an unceremonious end for one of the NFL’s most explosive players back in the day, but that’s the brutal nature of the sport.
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