New York Jets roster hopeful's abrupt retirement affects key position battle

Running back Tarik Cohen looked like a reclamation project bound for success.

After New York Jets training camp practice on Tuesday, the former All-Pro punt returner, who was looking to play in his first NFL game since 2020, told reporters that he felt "all the way back."

In an unexpected turn of events on Thursday, Cohen announced his retirement from football with the Jets subsequently placing the 29-year-old on the Reserve/Retire list. While that move opens up a spot on the team's 90-man roster, New York still must count Cohen's salary against the cap as if he had been released.

Cohen's retirement likely takes pressure off second-year return specialist Xavier Gipson, who is currently nursing a leg injury . The two men were expected to compete for the Jets primary kick returner role in the wake of the NFL's kickoff rules changes. Earlier this week, Cohen suggested that he was made for the new format.

"I feel like it's a custom tailored position that they just added to football," said Cohen.

It's a mystery as to why Cohen decided to call it quits while seemingly on an upward trend. Jets head coach Robert Saleh hinted that the scat back was still trying to regain the speed that made him so dangerous with the Chicago Bears .

"He definitely has that short area quickness and that zero to 60 range. It's just a matter of him finding that long-range stuff that he had, which not to say it was slow, but his long-speed was elite before the injury, but all of the other stuff and the long-speed will come," said Saleh.

Cohen, who spent the 2023 season on the Carolina Panthers Practice Squad, totaled 4,286 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns over 51 career games, all with Chicago.