Sept. 13 (UPI) — The Carolina Panthers plan to sign former Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen, who last played in the NFL in 2020.
Sources told NFL Network, the Charlotte Observer and The Athletic on Tuesday that Cohen is expected to join the Panthers practice squad.
Cohen was a fourth-round pick by the Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft. He totaled a career-high 1,169 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 16 games in 2018. He also logged 441 yards on 33 punt returns that season en route to first-team All-Pro honors.
Cohen, 28, totaled 2,676 yards from scrimmage through his four seasons with the Bears. He missed time in 2020 and the entire 2021 season because of a knee injury. He missed the entire 2022 campaign because of a torn Achilles.
The Bears signed Cohen to a 3-year, $17.2 million contract extension in 2020. They released the veteran running back last off-season.
The Panthers signed former Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders to a 4-year, $25.4 million contract in March. Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear are the other running backs on the Panthers roster.
Sanders totaled 98 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches in the Panthers’ Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in Atlanta. Hubbard logged 69 yards on 11 touches. Blackshear did not play a single snap.
The Panthers (0-1) will host the New Orleans Saints (1-0) at 7:15 p.m. EDT Monday in Charlotte, N.C.
