Bears pushing to sign Tarik Cohen to long-term deal

Allen Robinson isn’t the only member of the Chicago Bears looking for a new deal. Running back Tarik Cohen could be getting a long-term deal in the near future.

The talk around the Chicago Bears has been the reported friction between the team and star wide receiver Allen Robinson over lack of progress in contract negotiations. But on Saturday, both sides resumed talks, but still have a ways to go to reach an agreement. However, Robinson isn’t the only player on Chicago’s offense who’s in line for a contract extension.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears and running back Tarik Cohen have had “fruitful discussions” about a contract extension. In fact, there was a push to get a deal done just before the team’s Week 2 game against the New York Giants, but they missed the 3:59 p.m. ET Saturday deadline to make it official on Sunday. However, that doesn’t mean both sides can’t reach an agreement in the very near future.

Cohen is an unrestricted free agent after the season but the Bears are hoping to lock up the diminutive back to a big deal to keep him in Chicago for the long-term

The Bears selected Cohen out of North Carolina A&T in the fourth-round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Even though he was behind Jordan Howard on the depth chart in his rookie season, he made his true impact as a pass-catching specialist. His best season came in 2018, where he rushed for 444 yards and three touchdowns on 99 carries, while catching 71-of-91 targets for 725 yards and five scores. That season helped earn him a spot on the NFC Pro Bowl team.

Last season, the Bears expected 2019 second-round pick David Montgomery to make an instant impact in Chicago’s backfield. That never came to fruition, as he averaged 3.7 yards per carry in all 16 games. In fact, Cohen had more starts than Montgomery, although didn’t fair any better on the ground (3.3 yards/carry). Cohen did make up for it in passing down situations, as he recorded 79 receptions for 456 yards and three touchdowns.

In Chicago’s Week 1 win against the Detroit Lions, Cohen rushed for 41 yards on seven carries while catching two passes for six yards.

There’s no doubt that Cohen is one of the league’s best pass-catching running backs. The Bears know this firsthand and are working to keep Cohen in the Windy City for the foreseeable future.