The running back position for the Chicago Bears is probably the most decorated of any in NFL history. It started with Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski, moving through the age of Rick Caseras, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Neal Anderson, and Matt Forte. Players at that position are always treated with a little extra respect from fans. That is why it’s always difficult to see those players see hard times. Such was the case on Thursday with two former members of the team.
It started with the news that one-time spark plug Tarik Cohen, who’d been trying to make a comeback from his catastrophic knee injury a few years ago and then an Achilles injury during rehab, decided it was time to retire.
If that weren’t bad enough, it got worse for a more recent alum. D’Onta Foreman signed with the Cleveland Browns this off-season after a solid year in Chicago last season. Reports are he suffered an alarming neck injury that forced trainers to remove him from the field on a backboard and then via helicopter.
Football can be a cruel sport. You’re flying high one moment, and the next, you suffer a catastrophic injury that ultimately costs you your career. These men put their livelihoods in their hands on every snap, practice, or game. Cohen will go down in Chicago Bears history as one of the most fun players to watch, on and off the field. If he’d stayed healthy, he might still be on the team right now. He was that effective. It isn’t clear why he retired. He stated his primary reason for joining the New York Jets was the realization he was getting out of shape. Apparently he realized the grind of training camp was too much for his body anymore. As for Foreman, his stay was short but the guy was a good player. Here is hoping he makes a full recovery.
