Bears won't let Hester return kickoffs

Posted by NBC Sports on March 24, 2010, 1:16 PM EDT

Lovie Smith doesn’t plan to grant Devin Hester’s wish about returning kickoffs again.

The Bears coach said Wednesday that Hester would remain a full-time wide receiver and return punts, but not kickoffs, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  The Bears are in good shape on kickoffs with Johnny Knox.

Chicago looks largely set at wide receiver, but the team is interested in adding a veteran quarterback.  Caleb Hanie is currently Jay Cutler’s backup.

Smith sounds more interested in an older mentor type rather than a true option to play.  Jake Plummer’s available, right?

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40 responses to “Bears won't let Hester return kickoffs”

  4. Todd Collins is available, and basically holds a PhD in the offense Mike Martz uses thanks to all his time under Al Saunders.

  5. Good call…take away the league’s biggest return threat.
    Lovie Smith is a dead man walking…no way he lasts another year or two without getting to the playoffs.

  6. This is so stupid to stop him from doing what he does best. He has not been the same, nor have the bears since!

  7. I think Tyler Thigpen can be had for a 3rd rounder! Make it a second rounder and we’ll throw in Teddy Ginn…he can return kickoffs for ya!!!

  8. Maybe the best KO weapon ever… converted to a mediocre WR by the Bears. Priceless…

  9. wow thats just dumb.
    you have the one of or the best return man in the league and wont let him return so he can be an average receiver for your interception machine?

  13. Hester hasnt returned kicks for two years. Who cares. Johnny Knox was a pro bowler as a returner and should stay there

  16. too bad they moved him,the dude used to be able to win games all by himself,now,geez,i forgot he was still playing,take him from what he was best at and make him irrelavent,terrible thing,just like the thing with sexy rexy,hold on to a bad idea waaaaay too long,i do not understand how he still has a job

  17. Yay! Somebody go to Ohno that the Bear want him to be an Olympic sprinter instead of a speed skater.

  18. Set at receiver? So what is the line up? Bennett, Aromashodo, Hester (slot), and Knox in 4 WR sets? Davis better only be getting part time work. Is Olsen playing WR now? Or maybe we can line him up at right tackle?
    Why would we want a veteran back up QB now? Wouldnt that have been more important last season when Hanie was in his 2nd year?
    I am excited to see the track meet at WR this year. Lets just hope they have the ball in their hands when they are streaking down the field.

  19. Let him return kicks Lovie he’s good at it, plus he’d be just a third or forth reciever on any other team.

  20. Florio that’s 2 posts in a row where either you or your monkeys haven’t completely ripped on the Bears. Must be killing you.
    Lovie you’re killin me…

  22. Makes sense.
    I mean… the person who helped lead your team to the Super Bowl, AND gave you the lead in the Super Bowl by returning kicks… why in the world would you let them return kicks?

  24. Hester’s been crap on returns for awhile, he’ll never be a pro-bowl level return man again and anyone who thinks otherwise isn’t watching the Bears. Knox and D Manning, on the other hand, are damn good.

  27. Lovie is not stupid…….wait a minute……..I think he is just saying that so he catches teams of guard.

  28. Fact: Devin Hester has NEVER ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in kick return average. Besides the 26 yards/return he got his rookie season, which is hardly ever what you see in a pro bowl kick returner, he hasn’t averaged over 22 yards/return. Knox and Manning are as fast if not faster, have fumbled less and have been more consistent in getting at least 25 yards per return, even if they are slightly less of a home run threat.
    Knox averaged 29 yards/return last season, Manning about 27 for the course of his career.

  29. Lovie is such a dumbass. Look at the new overtime rule albeit only for the playoffs at this point. If you return a kickoff for a TD in overtime game over. Martz already decided that he wants Hester in the slot. That most likely means Knox and Aromashadu starting on the outside making them full time receivers. So move Hester to kickoff and punt returns and make him a weapon in 3 reciever sets which there will be plenty with Martz. You’ll still have Manning and Knox for returns if Hester gets hurt. Put the best players available into positions to win? Not Lovie’s style.

  30. “Chicago looks largely set at wide receiver, but…”
    Wow!!! I have a hard time understanding how they’re set at WR. So is Cutler ever going to get help or are they going to always attempt to make him pretend he’s still at Vanderbilt?

  31. Sow Crates is the only one making sense here. There are a number of other players that were factors in Hester’s success (Brendon Ayanbadejo being the main one). Yes he made that great cut and had great speed, but guys were getting blocked. That’s not the case anymore. Knox catches and runs North fast. That’s the way it’s done. It’s still a team sport, kids!

  33. Good stuff Sow Crates.
    No one really got how much better at punt returns then kickoffs Devin was. But hey what are something as silly as facts when you’re making ridiculous claims?

  37. Stacked? You mean badly stacked right? Besides, what is to stop Jay Cutler from throwing near close another 30 picks? He did the same thing in Denver, he never could keep the ball out of the opponents hands..
    Oh and keep Lovie Smith and that Defence of theirs, the Packers love throwing against it, and the Vikings love running against it. Oh and please get rid of the punt return aspect of Hester as well, just let him play reciever.

  38. What ever happened to the old coach speak classic competition at all positions is good for the football team? Devin Hester has not even earned the right to compete for this job, laughable. Stacked at receiver, that just makes me angry. Yeah they do have a young group with potential, but JaMarcus Russell has more potential than all of them put together. Mark Bulger should be a backup, why not in Chicago?

  39. Best return man in NFL history and the coaches are not letting him do what he does best
    Brilliant!

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