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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
Former All-Pro kick returner Tarik Cohen, once regarded as one of the most electrifying players in the NFL, informed the New York Jets on Thursday that he’s retiring from football, sources told ESPN.
The news came only two days after Cohen, 29, spoke enthusiastically about his comeback bid. He signed with the Jets on May 29, hoping to revive his career after not having played in a regular-season game since 2020 due to major injuries.
“I definitely feel all the way back,” Cohen told reporters Tuesday.
Cohen was a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection for the Chicago Bears in 2018, when he led the NFL in punt return yardage (411) and amassed a career-high 1,169 yards from scrimmage. The 5-foot-6 speedster suffered a devastating knee injury in 2020. His comeback was delayed in 2022 by a torn Achilles, which occurred while working out on an Instagram livestream.
On Tuesday, Cohen joked about the incident, saying, “I felt so stupid for making that video.” He delighted in sharing how he rebounded from the injury and how he dropped weight to get himself back into football shape.
“I let myself get fat,” said Cohen, whose weight increased after playing with the Bears at 188 pounds. The turning point, he said, was when “I saw a picture of myself. I got to 207, 208 and saw little rolls on my side. I was in the pool and my friend took a picture. He sent me the picture and I almost threw my phone against the wall.”
Cohen rededicated himself, cut the weight by changing his diet and installing a sauna in his home and convinced the Jets to give him a contract. Down to 191 pounds, he was deployed as a kickoff and punt returner in training camp. Just the other day, coach Robert Saleh said of Cohen, “He got his juice back.”
With the new kickoff rules, Cohen expressed optimism that he’d be able to make the 53-man roster and have an impact. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said “there’s some things to clean up and stuff, but he’s a hell of a player and he’s got really good vision, really good run skills. We’ll see how it shakes out.”
The Bears made him a fourth-round pick in 2017 out of North Carolina A&T. He finished his career with 2,676 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns, along with 985 yards on punt returns (one touchdown) and 628 yards on kickoff returns. He played his entire career with the Bears, spending time last season on the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad.