Bears RB Tarik Cohen tears ACL, out for the season

UPDATE: Bears head coach Matt Nagy announced on Monday that Cohen has been diagnosed with a torn ACL after undergoing testing. Cohen will he placed on the season-ending injured reserve.

In the midst of an incredible comeback comes some bad news for the Bears.

Running back Tarik Cohen is feared to have torn ACL in Chicago’s 30-26 win against the Falcons on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. Upcoming tests will likely confirm the speculation.

Cohen was lined up as a punt returner and waved for a fair catch early in the fourth quarter, but a shove from Kindle Vildor accidentally knocked the Falcons’ Brian Hall into Cohen, who was taken out at the knees.

The injury comes as a big loss to the Bears, as Cohen had been playing at a high level to start off the 2020 season. He finished the game against Atlanta with two rushes for 21 yards, as well as 20 receiving yards on three catches. Prior to Week 3, Cohen had averaged 4.4 yards per carry with 53 yards on 12 carries. He had also caught three passes for 21 yards.

The Bears had just signed Cohen to a three-year, $17.25 million contract extension right before their Week 2 matchup against the Giants. Chicago obviously views him as a valuable asset to their offense, as his versatility and the speed element he brings to their roster is unmatched by many.

Cordarrelle Patterson is still listed as a wide receiver by the team, but he will likely fill the second-string role. Behind David Montgomery, the Bears now have just two pure backup running backs on the roster: Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce, with the latter currently being on the practice squad. They could choose to stick with the tandem out of the backfield, but seeing as though Nall has just three NFL regular season carries and Pierce is an undrafted rookie, they could also add some depth in free agency.