Devin Hester admitted at the end of last season that football no longer was fun. Arguably the greatest return man in NFL history even talked about retirement, but new coach Marc Trestman still wants him around.
But not on offense.
Trestman told Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday that Hester "feels really good" about the team's plans to use him strictly as a specialist going forward. The plan is to line up second-year pass-catcher Alshon Jeffery as a starter across from Brandon Marshall, Trestman added.
The move is long overdue. Hester underwhelmed during his 46 starts at wideout over the past five seasons. As electrifying as he can be on special teams, the 30-year-old pulled down just 26 passes for 242 yards last year.
Jeffery endured struggles of his own last season, battling through hand and knee injuries as a rookie. He has a tendency to make a big play before vanishing, but Jeffery is a better fit for Trestman's vertical passing game.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
