The Chicago Bears are quickly moving beyond their past with two notable releases Friday.
After causing him to miss the entire 2021 season due to injury, Tarik Cohen's knee ailment has also cost him his job. The Bears informed the running back he's been released, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday.
Chicago added to its list of cuts by releasing defensive tackle Eddie Goldman later Friday, Rapoport reported.
The Bears also announced they have been assigned running back Darrynton Evans off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.
Goldman was a favorite of former general manager Ryan Pace, who spent a second-round pick on the former Florida State standout and eventually extended his contract to the tune of four years and $42 million. Goldman tallied 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and 175 total tackles in six seasons with the Bears, playing in at least 14 games per season in all but one campaign.
Releasing Goldman will save Chicago over $6 million in cap space, per Over The Cap.
Cohen sat out the most recent campaign because of a torn ACL suffered back in 2020 that ended his season after just three games. He was expected to return at some point in 2021, starting the season on the physically unable to perform list and ultimately never leaving it. He's yet to make a full return from the injury.
Three total games played in the last two seasons and an uncertain timeline that's already well behind schedule was enough to convince Chicago to part ways with Cohen. When healthy, Cohen is a dynamic playmaker with the potential to be a game-breaker in the right situation, be it on offense or on special teams as a returner. He racked up over 1,100 scrimmage yards, scored eight total touchdowns and led the league in punt return yards in 2018, earning first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.
With the lengthy timeline in mind, though, it's fair to wonder if he'll ever reclaim his rare abilities to impact a game.
Cohen's next step is to get healthy -- fully healthy, more than enough to pass a physical -- and then find the right opportunity to show he still has the skills and explosiveness to make a difference for a team in need of a versatile playmaker.
With new general manager Ryan Poles now in charge in Chicago, he's wasting little time remaking the roster as he sees fit. Parting with a couple of Pace selections and trading another (linebacker Khalil Mack ) appears to only be the beginning.
