Bears sign RB Tarik Cohen to 3-year contract extension

The Bears have signed a key offensive player to a contract extension. It’s not receiver Allen Robinson.

The Bears locked up running back Tarik Cohen for the next three years. The deal will keep Cohen in Chicago through the 2023 season. The 2020 season is the final year of his four-year rookie contract.

According to a report for ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cohen’s extension is worth $17.25 million ($5.75 million per year), with the ability to go up to as much as $18.25 million.

“We’re extremely excited about being able to extend Tarik,” Bears general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement released by the team. “He’s a versatile player that has a big impact on offense and special teams. We love his character and he’s been a spark plug for our team since we drafted him. Tarik and I both feel he’s a young, ascending player with a lot of high-level years left in this league and we are glad he will be with us in the years to come.”

Cohen has been durable – he has never missed a game due to injury in his three-plus years in a Bears uniform. The Bears selected him with a fourth-round draft pick in 2017.

Cohen was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018 and was an All-Pro punt returner that same year. In 2018, Cohen recorded team-leading 725 receiving yards on 71 receptions (10.2 average), with five touchdowns. He also had 33 punt returns for 411 yards (12.5 average).

Last season, Cohen appeared in 16 games, with 11 starts, rushing 64 times for 213 yards, with a career-high 79 receptions for 456 yards and three touchdowns

Meanwhile, top receiver Allen Robinson is still waiting on an extension. Robinson is in the final year of his three-year deal, signed prior to the 2018 season. Earlier this week, Robinson deleted all Bears content from his Instagram account, sending a message that he was upset with the lack of a deal.

Robinson addressed the issue later in the week, and expressed some frustration, but also said he wants to remain a Bear.

Cohen was one of the players supporting Robinson on social media. He tweeted #ExtendAR the same day Robinson deleted the Bears from Instagram.