After two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, kick returner extraordinaire Devin Hester is out of a job as he was released by the team on Tuesday.
Hester, who played for the Chicago Bears until signing with Atlanta in 2014, holds NFL records for most career punt return touchdowns (14) and most total kicks returned for a touchdown (19), and is widely regarded as the best returner to ever play in the NFL.
During Hester’s career with the Bears, he also played wide receiver for several seasons, racking up 217 receptions for 2807 yards and 14 touchdowns in 123 career games at the position.
Now, with Hester out of the picture in Atlanta, and with the Bears holding onto some serious salary cap space coming into the season, there is a question percolating: could he make a return to Chicago for one final run with the team?
There is at least some credence to the idea, as the Bears did just cut safety Omar Bolden from the roster. Bolden was largely considered to be a contender to return kicks for Chicago this season, but with the move coming less than a week before training camp, that job is still up in the air.
Players like Marc Mariani, Deonte Thompson, and Senorise Perry could all compete for the job as well, but adding Hester to the mix could make things a lot more interesting for the Bears moving forward.
