Matt Nagy confirms Bears RB Tarik Cohen tore ACL, headed to IR

For two weeks, the Chicago Bears had avoided any serious injuries. But during Sunday’s game, they lost an important player to their offense.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL during Sunday’s win against the Atlanta Falcons.

“Unfortunately, it looks like Tarik Cohen, after we get confirmation, looks like he did end up tearing his ACL,” Nagy told reporters after the game. “So, that will be a big blow to us there with that, which is unfortunate.”

Cohen sustained the injury during a punt return when Atlanta’s Brian Hill got shoved into the back of Cohen’s right leg, which caused his knee to bend. Cohen struggled to put any pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the field by trainers.

“I love the guy, he’s an important person on this team,” Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks said. “Someone I have a lot of respect for, somebody that is dedicated to this team and that wants to be the best at what he does. He’s all you can ask for in a teammate. He’s the energy when we need it, he’s the focus when you want it, he’s just our guy.”

The Bears signed Cohen to a three-year contract extension worth $17.25 million a couple of weeks ago.