Devin Hester finds the Atlanta Falcons' matchup with the Chicago Bearson Sunday a familial one.
"It's kind of like playing against your brother," he said of facing a team with which he spent eight seasons. "I thank them a lot, and I wish them all the best this year."
The family get-together will likely be chilly for some.
An emotional Hester told NFL Network after he broke the NFL returns record in September that he "wasn't happy" in Chicago the last "three, four years."
Heading toward Sunday's matchup against many of his former teammates, Hester said the Bears didn't even offer him a contract in the offseason and that the franchise wanted to "go in a different direction," which didn't sit well with the wideout.
"If you've been with a team for six, seven, eight years, it bothers you when your contract is up, and the team doesn't even come to offer you anything," he said, per the Chicago Sun-Times. "So it bothered me. But at the same time, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes what you want might not be the best fit for you."
Hester sidestepped questions about his relationship with Jay Cutler being one reason he didn't want to be part of the Bears' offense last season.
The elusive return man has provided a spark for the Falcons' offense as a receiver, with both a receiving and a rushing touchdown this season. You can bet he'll be motivated to reach the end zone again against his former teammates Sunday afternoon.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses the top 10 disappointments and breaks down the surprising NFC East. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL Now.
