Devin Hester will not make another late-season appearance.
The NFL's all-time leader in punt-return touchdowns announced he's hanging up his cleats.
Hester joined the Seattle Seahawks for the playoffs last year and said after the loss to the Atlanta Falcons that it was likely his last NFL game. The 35-year-old waited almost 11 months to make it official.
The dynamic return man played 11 seasons in the NFL. The bulk of his career he spent unnerving opposing special team coaches for the Chicago Bears (2006-20013). He then bounced to Atlanta for two years. Hester spent 2016 with the Baltimore Ravens and Seahawks.
During his dynamic career, Hester was the most dangerous return man in the NFL. He earned an NFL record 20 career return scores, including playoffs (14 punt return TDs). Among the most memorable, Hester took the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI to the house to give the Bears a 7-0 lead against the Indianapolis Colts.
Hester's case for the Hall of Fame will be hotly debated in the years to come. As primarily a returner, he participated in a fraction of the snap most players amass over a career. Yet he also influenced opponent's game-management decisions like no other returner of his era and owns NFL records none are close to matching.
