Thread: Should he stay or go: Devin Hester

I think a lot of it is going to be up to Devin. If what he said is true, then he has been losing interest for the last two years, and if he doesn't buy into the new way at Halas Hall, then he may have no desire left. If that's the case, none of it will matter, it if he wants to, then I think we should find a way to use him.

Yes I'd keep him. Had it still been Lovie around here I'd have said keep him as ST only, but now with Trestman I tend to think that he should be given a chance of WR(Again again again again again again) but you know this time we do actually have an offensive minded HC that can design plays to him, so who know he might be super effectiv as WR when getting a propper offensive coach.
That being said it seems like Hester can only focus on doing one thing and with a new ST coach he might have some nice returns should he be ST player only. New ideas etc etc.

But yea let's all see what happens, I have a feeling that he is retireing.

I'm not gonna put much stock in his so called "retirement speech" after Lovie was let go. It was said in a moment of despair and deep disappointment. Lovie had championed him from the start and was instrumental in all of his failed #1 WR experiments so his feelings were a little raw and at that moment understandable. But that said he can still fuck himself for chastising the fans.

There's not really any reason I can find for just out and out releasing him. Given what he's capable of as a big play producer $2 mil and change isn't overly expensive for him. At least they can work with him this offseason to see if there is a way to use him in the kind of "Hester Package" Tice sold us on and if not then Trestman better than anyone can push him hard about his return game and see if he can get that back on track.

I just have a feeling he still has gas in his tank and more to offer. If he's motivated to get that record he's gonna get it. He was one missed block away from a punt return TD and with another key block close to breaking a couple more. I wouldn't be looking to hand him an extension but one more year to see if he's still got it won't hurt.

I don't the cap hit that the team is gonna take with on Hester is going to make/break the off-season for Emery. And I'm sure all of us would love to see Hester get the return record in a Bears uni.

I agree with 4DaBers that a lot of it rests on Hester... he has said that the game isn't fun to him anymore and I do not know how 'fun' it is to Hester to hit the books and learn a new complex offense. As much as Trestman's offensive system challenges the QB on a daily basis the next in line is the WRs. And lets face it when Martz was here Hester (and Knox) struggled with learning that scheme the first season.

In regards to whether or not he's lost the joy of playing and the ability to will himself to succeed I agree. If it's reached that point he should give it up but I doubt it has. I think Trestman has the passion for the game a good coach needs and if there's anyway to motivate Hester he'll find it. Or if not then Hester hangs up his cleats.

If he still has his "ridculous" return skills we'll want to keep him but if he doesn't no one else will want him either so it's pretty much up to him as to where his career goes from here. He can still play if he wants to and that's the question which needs to be answered.