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One of the most explosive kick returners in NFL history is retiring.
Tarik Cohen has decided to retire following a comeback attempt with the New York Jets this offseason, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Sources: Former Bears’ RB Tarik Cohen, who was attempting to come back from assorted knee injuries throughout his NFL career, informed the Jets today that he is retiring from football, effectively immediately. At his peak, Cohen was one of the NFL’s most explosive players. pic.twitter.com/RDvVRDU2xg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 1, 2024
Cohen seemed to confirm the news with a cryptic post on social media:
— Tarik Cohen (@TarikCohen) August 1, 2024
The Chicago Bears selected Cohen in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Cohen served as both the backup running back and primary punt returner for Chicago from 2017 to 2019. He received a Pro Bowl nod and was named first-team All-Pro in 2018 as a punt returner. Cohen tallied 15 combined touchdowns as a rusher, receiver and punt returner across 51 games for the Bears.
Injuries then derailed Cohen’s career, as the speedster tore his ACL and MCL during a Week 3 contest against the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. He missed the entire 2021 season trying to recover from the injury. As Cohen was gearing up for a 2022 season return, he tore the Achilles tendon on his right leg while live-streaming a workout via his Instagram account.
The Jets signed Cohen in May and wanted to give the 29-year-old a look in large part because of the radical changes that have been made to kickoffs this year. It is unclear if Cohen had a chance to make the roster, but he is instead walking away from football.
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Intriguing reunion on table for Steelers with trade deadline nearing
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that is looking to solidify itself as a competitor in the AFC for the 2025 season, and the franchise should be looking to make some moves around the trade deadline. The organization already brought in safety Kyle Dugger from the New England Patriots, and he made an immediate impact in a win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Steelers could use some help on the offensive side of the ball as well, but more additions could be made to shore up the defense as well. There is some positional uncertainty at safety for the Steelers as well as a bunch of injuries. The position has changed a ton throughout the season, and the Steelers could certainly use some more depth in the area. Unfortunately, Minkah Fitzpatrick would only be an option if he were to be cut as Pittsburgh cannot trade for him within two years of trading him away. However, his former running mate, Damontae Kazee, is a potential option for the Steelers after he was released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. Kazee is a veteran with a good amount of experience, and he could certainly sign with Pittsburgh if the front office wants him to return to the black and gold. However, there are other safety-needy teams throughout the league as well. The coaching staff in the Steel City understands and appreciates familiar voices on the roster, and Kazee could provide decent depth while also being familiar with the defense and everyone in the building. Juan Thornhill and Chuck Clark have been other contributors at safety for the Steelers in 2025, but there is a real chance that Kazee might be a better option than either of those players. Both Thornhill and Clark have seemed to be at the center of communication issues in the secondary, and whenever there is an obvious coverage bust, Clark seems to always be one of the players closest to it. Kazee signed with the Browns during the 2025 offseason, and he had only played in four games through the first nine weeks of the season. He had been on the field for just 11 defensive snaps, as he seemed to be more of a special teamer in Cleveland. Despite the reduced role in 2025, he could provide some value to Pittsburgh, even if he is just signed to the practice squad. The fan base in Pittsburgh might not have always loved Kazee, but he played a lot of football for the Steelers throughout the three seasons he spent with the team. At the very least, he provides depth for Pittsburgh at a position of need, and he wouldn't be expensive to sign. This is the type of signing the Steelers would make, and it completely makes sense to do so. Pittsburgh Steelers have found a successful safety combination Ahead of Pittsburgh's game on Sunday against the Colts, it was announced that cornerback Jalen Ramsey would be playing exclusively free safety. He had been playing some safety throughout the year depending on what the opposing offense was doing, but on Sunday, he did not leave the position. It was Ramsey and Dugger leading the way in the defensive backfield, and the duo had a pretty good day. It will be interesting to see if that is something the Steelers continue to use in the coming weeks, but it probably should be since it was so effective against the best offense in the NFL.
Vikings injury updates from KOC include news on Aaron Jones, Ryan Kelly
During his day-after-game press conference on Monday afternoon, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell provided injury updates on a variety of players, including the first news in a while on center Ryan Kelly. From an overall perspective, the Vikings emerged from Sunday's upset win in Detroit in very good health, which is encouraging as they head into the second half of the season. "Christian Darrisaw, Brian O'Neill, J.J. McCarthy, and Andrew Van Ginkel all came out in a really positive place, health-wise," O'Connell said of four key players who have missed time this season but are now back in the lineup. Aaron Jones Jones was one of the Vikings' best players on Sunday, racking up 98 yards on 11 touches before departing with a shoulder injury just two snaps into the third quarter. The initial reporting is that he suffered a mild AC joint sprain and has a chance to play this week against the Ravens. O'Connell talked about Jones' status a bit more on Monday. "Positive news early on," he said. "He's sore, obviously, coming out of the game, but the evaluations have been pretty positive today. We'll see how he does throughout the week, but expecting him to be able to hopefully ramp up his workload and I'll give you guys an update as the week goes on." It'll be worth paying attention to the injury reports later this week to see if Jones can go. If he does play, he figures to lead the Vikings' backfield against Baltimore. If he can't go, Jordan Mason would return to the lead role. Ryan Kelly Not surprisingly, there haven't been any updates on Kelly, the Vikings' starting center, since his second concussion in a 15-day span landed him on injured reserve a month ago. He's now missed the last four games and is eligible to return to action, but the Vikings haven't even opened his practice window yet. The good news is that Kelly's ramp-up process appears to be starting, as he'll do some work with trainers on a side field this week. "Don't really have an update at this time of opening his window or anything like that, but want to get him started," O'Connell said. "He seems to be in a good place, and (we) want to see the next part of that process begin." Blake Brandel has started the last four games at center after Michael Jurgens filled in there earlier in the season. It would be big for the Vikings if they can get Kelly back at some point and perhaps have their entire starting offensive line healthy for the first time all year. Theo Jackson and others Jackson, one of the Vikings' top three safeties, has entered concussion protocol after reporting some mild symptoms on Monday morning, O'Connell said. "He came in this morning with some very mild symptoms and we want to be safe there, so he'll go into the concussion protocol. We'll see how he can progress throughout the week." Jackson was an every-down player earlier this year when Harrison Smith was out, but he played just 16 defensive snaps in Detroit on Sunday. O'Connell also said that fullback C.J. Ham (hand) should "return to practice in a limited capacity" and that blocking tight end Josh Oliver (foot) will "begin working his way back on the side field with the trainers." Nick Vannett and Ben Yurosek would continue to be involved on offense if Oliver doesn't return this week.
Stars to be shorthanded in Western Conference Final rematch with Oilers
The Dallas Stars will be without some significant talent ahead of the Western Conference Final rematch Tuesday night. According to team reporter Brien Rea, the Stars won’t have forwards Roope Hintz or Matt Duchene against the Edmonton Oilers. Additionally, Jake Oettinger is also doubtful, given that he and his wife just had a child. It’s more of the same for Duchene. The 17-year veteran will have missed Dallas’ last eight games due to an upper-body injury after Tuesday night’s contest. He’s only appeared in four games this year, scoring one goal and two assists with a 52.2% success rate in the faceoff dot. Meanwhile, Hintz will miss his fifth straight game due to an undisclosed injury. He’s been a much bigger void to fill, given that he’s been a point-per-game player to start the campaign. Since Duchene left the lineup, the Stars have averaged two goals per game. Other injury notes from the Central Division: In some positive news, the St. Louis Blues will return Robert Thomas to the lineup Tuesday. According to Lou Korac of the NHL, Thomas returned to practice Monday morning and was included in all line rushes. He’s missed the team’s last four games with an upper-body injury. Unfortunately, Thomas’s absence was notably evident, as the Blues lost all four contests. The positive news isn’t only isolated to St. Louis. According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, Minnesota Wild veteran Mats Zuccarello looks very close to returning. Zuccarello suffered a lower-body injury before the start of the regular season. Like Thomas, his absence has been noticeable. Despite leading the league in power-play goals, the Wild are only averaging 1.61 even-strength goals through their first 13 games.
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Trade for former 3-time All-Pro would significantly improve Buffalo Bills' secondary
While Cole Bishop has come on strong in his second season, the Buffalo Bills remain in need of a boost at the safety position. Veteran Jordan Poyer has lost a step, and while rookie Jordan Hancock has inspired confidence early in his career, there is no guarantee that inserting him into the starting lineup at this stage would prove impactful in the long term. With the trade deadline approaching, it may behoove the Bills to pursue a veteran with some gas left in the tank. Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is reported to be on the market, as Miami has started a fire sale of sorts after firing former General Manager Chris Grier. The Dolphins already dealt pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jordan Schultz is reporting that Fitzpatrick has also garnered interest from several teams. Fitzpatrick was dealt by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Dolphins this offseason and has recorded 50 tackles, five passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery through nine games this season. The 28-year-old is a former three-time All-Pro who has played in the league for eight seasons. Poyer has been a good soldier in his return to the Bills, waiting his turn before jumping at the chance to obtain a starting role the past few weeks. But it is tough to deny that Fitzpatrick would bring added ability to a Buffalo secondary that has endured struggles throughout the season. If this team hopes to win a championship, it will need to maintain the level of play it saw from its coverage unit during a Week 9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The improved performance of the secondary allowed Buffalo’s pass rush to come alive to the tune of 15 quarterback hits and three sacks during the victory over KC, proving its importance for this defense as it hopes to become championship-level in the weeks to come. Fitzpatrick could help seal the deal for Buffalo on the back-end, and it doesn’t appear as if it would cost an arm and a leg to acquire him, if Miami is willing to do business with a divisional rival. The Dolphins traded Phillips for a third-round pick while eating over $6 million of the money he was owed this season. Fitzpatrick would cost any team acquiring him just $627,500 against the cap, per Spotrac, which wouldn’t be a problem money-wise for the Bills. The Bills need help at various positions, and if they elect to add at the safety position, Fitzpatrick would be a good place to start. — Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —
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