Bears coach Marc Trestman wants Devin Hester focused on what he does best.
Trestman said at the league meeting today that he views Hester as a return man, not a wide receiver. As a result, Trestman said, Hester will be spending his time in practice working with the special teams.
Although Trestman hasn’t totally ruled out Hester playing some receiver, he said he’s not even sure if Hester will practice with the wide receivers this season, let alone play with them.
When the Bears drafted Hester in 2006, they initially listed him as a cornerback, and it wasn’t until he burst onto the scene as the best return man in the NFL during his rookie season that the team decided to try to put the ball in his hands more by playing him on offense.
The results on offense have been mixed: Hester has had his moments as a receiver, but he’s never been a game-changer on offense the way he has been on special teams. And there’s been some talk that the time Hester is spending on offense is detracting from what he does as a returner.
That won’t be the case this year: Trestman is making returning kicks Hester’s top priority.