First, it was Cordarrelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen. Then it was Eddie Jackson. A number of Chicago Bears players seem enamored with the idea of Russell Wilson in navy blue and orange. It was even reported that tight end Jimmy Graham has been putting in a good word for the team with the quarterback. The two being former teammates and friends. As it turns out, that isn’t all. Now another Bears alum got in on the action in all-time great Devin Hester.
The superstar return man surfaced on Instagram posting a popular photograph of Wilson photoshopped into a Bears uniform. Where it gets interesting is the tagline Hester puts under it. While it’s so easy to get swept up in the smallest details this time of year, it’s hard not to wonder if the guy might know something others don’t.
This isn’t just Hester being a former player either.
Most people these days remember him for what he did in Chicago and then spent a couple of years in Atlanta. Few remember that Hester actually spent a couple of weeks with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2016 playoffs. He had two returns in the wild card win over Detroit before exploding in what would be the last game of his career. Against the Falcons in Atlanta, he went for 194 yards on kick returns and had a 78-yard punt return called back by a penalty. The last glimpse of how great he truly was.
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That stretch allowed him to build some relationships in the Seahawks locker room including with Wilson himself. So it isn’t hard to make connections between the two. They were teammates even if it was for a brief period. Hester may know a little more than he’s letting on. Or it could just be excitement at the possibility.
Devin Hester championing Wilson to Chicago only helps
Even if he doesn’t know anything specific, it is another voice with ties to the quarterback who can talk up the Bears in a big way. Hester knows better than anybody how big of a star this city can make you. Would he be nearly as big of a household name in the NFL these days if he’d done his work somewhere like Arizona, or Jacksonville, or even Seattle? Probably not. Chicago can turn stars into icons.
That is apparently one of the big selling points to Wilson. He wants to go down as one of the best of all-time. While he’s done incredible things in Seattle, he’s still not mentioned among the best in the NFL even today. Part of that could be playing for an organization that is isolated far in the Pacific Northwest. Chicago is one of the largest media markets in the world. Just imagine if he managed to do for the Bears what he’s done for the Seahawks.
He’d be a made man almost from the start.
So many things need to happen in order to make it a reality though. Seattle hasn’t been willing to entertain trade offers. At least not yet. Most still believe the two sides will work things out. Still, there is definite tension up there. Devin Hester is right to be excited. Who knows. Maybe he actually does know more than he’s letting on.