Tarik Cohen understands that the NFL is a business. But that doesn’t make the loss of Chicago Bears’ teammate Jordan Howard any easier for the 23-year old running back.
“He was like my mentor, basically,” Cohen told reporters Monday. “Losing him, it hurt me a little bit. I’m not gonna lie. It hurt me. But that’s like my brother. But it’s a business.”
Cohen had conversations with Howard, who the Bears traded to the Philadelphia Eagles last month for a conditional sixth-round pick in 2020, before and after the trade. He said that Howard doesn’t hold any ill-will towards the Bears and is determined to continue to make an impact in the league, now with the Eagles.
“He got the same mentality,” Cohen said. “It’s a business. He’s going to grind to keep his name in the headlines, and make his plays.”
Howard’s departure signals a clear need for the Bears to add another running back to its roster, which is likely to come in this year’s draft. Chicago has met with all of the top running back prospects and shown significant interest in players like Miles Sanders and Devin Singletary, who might fall to the Bears in the third round.
Cohen, who finds himself atop the running back depth chart in Chicago, believes that the Bears will probably draft a running back.
“I think we will probably get a running back,” Cohen said. “I’m not sure — I’m really not included in those conversations.”
Should the Bears draft a running back, he’ll join the likes of Cohen and recently-acquired veteran Mike Davis, who comes to the Bears as a question mark to the outside. Clearly he’s someone that Matt Nagy believes can contribute to this offense, but his role is yet to be determined.
Cohen praised Davis, who signed a two-year deal with the Bears last month, for his intelligence when it comes to play installations in what’s been Phase I of Chicago’s offseason program.
“Mike, he’s like one of the guys,” Cohen said. “He’s already fitting in the locker room. Everybody’s already getting along cool.”
While Chicago’s backfield will look different this season, there’s a lot of excitement when it comes to seeing how the Bears offense will progress in its second season under Nagy. The running backs will certainly be a group to watch.
