Devin Hester has been with the Chicago Bears since 2006. He began as a cornerback, transitioned to a shaky wide receiver but was one of the NFL’s most lethal kick return men all along the way.
With no exchanges between Hester and the Bears the 31-year-old is as good as gone.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that the two sides have not been speaking, which surprises no one in the Chicago area.
Devin Hester has been with the #Bears since 2006. But with no attempt to re-sign him, looks like he’ll hit the FA market. End of an era.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2014
Hester was pushed into a return man only role last season. The Bears have other options in the return game and with Hester being one dimensional he simply is no longer a good fit for their roster.
Naturally some will link Hester to Tampa Bay and former Bears coach Lovie Smith.
Hester will remain an option for anyone looking to improve their return game. He averaged 27.7 yards per kick return and 14.2 yards per punt return while recording a touchdown.
