The Bears secured a nice bounceback 23-6 win over the St Louis Rams at Soldier Field on Sunday despite the fact that the offense was largely MIA for most of the afternoon. It raises a lot of questions about the most widely discussed group in recent Bears memory. I thought about putting the whole offense on the Week 3 Milk Carton and certainly Jay Cutler is a worthy nominee, but my Week 3 Milk Carton recipient is wide receiver Devin Hester.
Notice I said wide receiver Devin Hester and not just plain, old Devin Hester. Dev had a decent day in the return game with 3 punt returns for an average of 13 yards and 3 kick returns for 84 yards and a long of 37 yards, almost breaking a couple of returns and bringing the Soldier Field faithful to their feet.
On offense, Hester was targeted twice for zero catches and most notably letting a sure touchdown go right through his hands. I think it’s time to end the Devin Hester wide receiver experience once and for all and let him focus on being the best returner in the NFL. Things could get interesting as Hester will be in the last year of his contract next season, a contract that then-GM Jerry Angelo based largely on Hester becoming a big contributor as a wide receiver. Would the Bears re-up Hester as just a return man? Would Hester command big dollars in free agency and if so, would the Bears try to match to keep him in the Navy and Orange? It’s something to keep an eye on as this season and offseason unfold.