New York Jets’ Tarik Cohen, the 29-year-old running back and return specialist, has announced his surprising retirement, ending his NFL career just before the season begins.
Cohen, who last played in 2020, joined the Jets in May and was vying for a spot on the 53-man roster. His retirement was confirmed on Thursday when he was placed on the reserve/retired list. This isn’t the first time the Jets have faced unexpected retirements during training camp; last August, wide receiver Corey Davis also stepped away from football abruptly.
In a Tuesday press conference, Cohen seemed optimistic about his return, stating: “I definitely feel all the way back.” He had slimmed down from 208 pounds to 191 in his comeback attempt.
Cohen shared his goals with the team: “I’m just trying to show the Jets the explosiveness that I have, the smartness that I’ve gained from being in the league, and lift as I rise – help all the guys in my position group.”
However, in a twist similar to last year’s sudden retirement of Corey Davis, Cohen informed the Jets of his decision to retire just days later. Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round in 2017 from North Carolina A&T, Cohen spent his entire four-season NFL career with the Bears. In 2018, he earned First-Team All-Pro honors as a punt returner, leading the league with 411 return yards. He also contributed over 1150 scrimmage yards that season, helping the Bears end an eight-year playoff drought with an 11-5 record.
Within the Jets camp, Cohen’s recent performances had been highly praised. “There’s some things to clean up, but he’s a hell of a player with really good vision and run skills,” said special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. Cohen was considered a potential solution to the NFL’s new kickoff rules and was competing with second-year player Xavier Gipson for the starting position.
Cohen commented on the new rules, saying, “The potential, I feel like it’s great for returners. If you’ve got a good return team and great returners like [Xavier] Gipson and myself and a great scheme, there’s a lot of different things you can do.”
The Jets are mostly set at running back with Breece Hall and rookies Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Despite Gipson’s current injury, he is expected to be both the kickoff and punt returner.