Chicago Bears Depth Chart: The most underrated battle heading into camp
By Joseph Herff
Chicago Bears kick return options: Tarik Cohen, Running Back
As a rookie in 2017, Tarik Cohen saw a lot of action returning kicks for the Bears as he returned 26 kicks averaging over 22 yards per return. Cohen normally shows his incredible returning ability by catching punts as he earned himself All-Pro honors in 2018 for his work, but he could possibly return both kicks and punts much like Hester did for the Bears.
The main worry is Cohen is coming off a torn ACL he suffered against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 of the 2020 season. It remains to be seen how fast he fully recovers from that injury and if he still has the same juice he had pre-injury. My guess is a healthy “Human Joystick” will get the nod as the kickoff returner for the 2020 season.
Chicago Bears kick return options: Khalil Herbert, Running Back
In the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears continued to add lethal weapons to their team by selecting Khalil Herbert out of Virginia Tech. After transferring from Kansas, Herbert saw plenty of opportunities at Virginia Tech to showcase he still is a talented running back. He delivered averaging over 7.6 yards per carry rushing for 1,183 yards.
Herbert returned kicks a bit during his time at Virginia Tech. He returned 16 kicks averaging almost 27 yards per return. If Herbert makes this roster despite the loaded running back room, he could have a good chance to return kicks for the Bears given his numbers from last season in college.