‘Blessed’ New York Jets running back shockingly retires from NFL

After stating earlier in the week that he “definitely felt all the way back” from a series of devastating injuries that had derailed his once promising career, New York Jets running back Tarik Cohen shockingly retired from the NFL on Thursday.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter was the first to report the stunning news, which came two days after Cohen met with reporters and spoke positively about his opportunity with the Jets, who signed him in the offseason.

The 29-year-old said he was “blessed” to be healthy and competing for a spot on New York’s 53-man roster just two years removed from “sitting at home, fat” when he was out of football following several injuries.

By all accounts, Cohen had a terrific spring in OTAs and was off to an excellent start in training camp as the top kick returner for the Jets. He was signed after changes in NFL kickoff rules made the return specialist a premium position again, and appeared energized by this chance at a second football life.

“It’s a great feeling (to be back),” Cohen said Tuesday . “When you’re out of the League and out of a locker room, you miss that vibe, that camaraderie with your teammates, your brothers. So, it’s great to be back in that.”

Why he called it quits 48 hours after making that statement is puzzling.

“I think he’s doing a job,” Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said Tuesday . “Obviously, there’s some things to clean up, but he’s a helluva player. He’s got really good vision, really good run skill. We’ll see how it all shakes out in the end.”

Clearly, Boyer and the Jets didn’t expect that end to come so soon.

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Jets veteran Tarik Cohen retires despite trying to regain early star form

Cohen wasn’t a lock to make the Jets as a return specialist and fourth running back. But his experience and prior success gave him a presumed leg up on second-year pro Xavier Gipson, who led the Jets with 33 punt returns and 22 kickoff returns as a rookie in 2023.

Gipson famously delivered a scintillating walk-off touchdown on a punt return in his NFL debut in a Week 1 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills last September.

The Jets are without Gipson at the moment as he is out 1-2 weeks with a lower-extremity injury, per coach Robert Saleh.

Running back Israel Abanikanda also has been in the mix, competing with Cohen at the running back position and as an option in the return game. Like Gipson, who’s a wide receiver, Abanikanda in entering his second NFL season.

Cohen was considered one of the most explosive players in the NFL his first few seasons with the Chicago Bears. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and named First Team All-Pro as a kick returner in 2018, when he led the League with 411 punt return yards, averaging 12.5 yards per return. Over 96 career punt returns, Cohen has averaged 10.3 yards per return.

As a rookie with the Bears in 2017, Cohen scored one touchdown on a punt return and averaged 22.4 yards per kickoff return.

Cohen also caught 209 passes in 51 games for the Bears, including an NFL career-high 79 in 2019. He totaled 15 touchdowns overall, nine receiving, five rushing and one in the return game.

He tore the ACL and MCL in his knee early in the 2020 season and missed all of 2021 as a result. Then he missed all of the 2022 season after rupturing his Achilles.

“That definitely crept in my mind that you’re never going to play again,” Cohen explained Tuesday. “And that’s why I treat every day like it’s a blessing and just come out every day and put my best foot forward.”

The 5-foot-6, 190-pound ball of dynamite was on the Carolina Panthers practice squad last season when he sustained a hamstring injury, making it three straight seasons without playing an NFL game.

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