There's nothing wrong with having high expectations and hopes for yourself, but there is a such thing as shooting too high and watching your confidence turn into hubris. Chicago Bears fans will likely be irritated by the comparison Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell just made.
Mitchell will be trying to take on a role as Baltimore's primary returner in the 2025 season. Mitchell thinks he'll take to this like a duck to water, implying that he could one day be on the level of one of the greatest Bears in NFL history and one of the most dominant forces the game has ever seen.
Mitchell said that his ultimate goal is to be someone as good as Hester in the return game, stating that his dream is to be so feared that teams do everything possible to avoid kicking to him. That's wishful thinking, as there may never be another returner ever that comes close to Hester.
Keaton Mitchell compares himself to Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester
Between Hester's 19 return touchdowns, including an NFL record 14 on punt returns and 11 within his first two seasons, the former Bears cornerback and wide receiver put together a career that is so exceptional no one will be able to even come close to challenging him for decades.
The NFL is trying to make kickoff returns as big a part of the game as they were in past seasons, but the decreased volume of returns could make Hester's records for punt return touchdowns and overall touchdowns one of those unbreakable marks no one touches ever again.
Hester was so good at his craft that he became the first player to ever be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as exclusively a returner. Ray Guy remains the only pure punter in the Hall of Fame, so there is a precedent for Hester staying in Canton as the only one with his particular skillset.
Mitchell isn't foolish for aspiring to be great at his job, but unless he's running back a kick every other week, putting himself anywhere near the same tier as Hester could come back to bite him.