Bears running back Tarik Cohen is still on the physically unable to perform list nearly a month after training camp opened, and coach Matt Nagy is unsure whether he’ll be back for the season opener Sept. 12.
Cohen tore his ACL in the third game last season and is coming up on the 11-month mark of the injury.
“He is just going through all of his rehab,” Nagy said. “He’s out there trying to stay as flexible as he can and running around … I’m not out there when he’s doing his stuff so I don’t know the exact details of what he’s doing. He’s definitely progressing.
“I don’t have a timeline for him, but he’s in a good place. It’s been frustrating for him, but he’s working hard.”
Cohen led the Bears with 1,169 yards from scrimmage in 2018 and averaged a career-high 6.9 yards per touch. He slipped to just 211 yards rushing and 456 yards receiving the next season, when he said he was not in ideal condition.
He arrived at training camp last season determined to bounce back, and the Bears felt so good about how he was performing that they signed him to a three-year, $17.3 million contract extension after the season opener.
“Those first three games, he was really getting back to his 2018 form,” Nagy said. “That’s what is so frustrating. … When he does get healthy, he’s a great addition to our offense.”
The Bears are proceeding with David Montgomery as their starting running back and veteran free agent pickup Damien Williams in a version of Cohen’s role.
Cohen is also the team’s top choice at punt returner, and Nagy said he would resume that once he’s back. Rookie wide receiver Dazz Newsome returned punts in the preseason game against the Bills on Saturday.
