Tag: devin hester

Bill Barnwell lists Jags WR Jamal Agnew as his favorite to potentially break this major record

Jamal Agnew could have a great season with the Jags as a specialist, but ESPN believes he could even overtake a major NFL record.

Most Jacksonville Jaguars fans are well aware of the elite offensive units Urban Meyer has put together, but his love for special teams seems to go under the radar. However, for those who’ve been paying attention to the Jags’ roster transactions this offseason, it’s become really clear he wants the Jags to have one of the better special teams units in the NFL.

In free-agency, they added players like safety Rudy Ford, who was one of the league’s fastest punt gunners. They also paid former Detroit Lions receiver Jamal Agnew a notable three-year deal worth $14.2 million to come over and help the Jags’ young receivers group, and most importantly, score as a returner.

Agnew, who played for Jags offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in Detroit, will enter his career with the Jags with five career touchdown returns and 1,649 total return yards. Four of those touchdowns have come as a punter and one has come from a kickoff, all of which puts him in an elite category of 11 current NFL players who’ve returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown.

For that reason, ESPN’s Ben Barnwell listed Agnew as his favorite to potentially break the NFL’s non-offensive touchdown record for a season. As of 2021, that record is held by former Chicago Bears return man Devin Hester, who had six during his 2006 and 2007 seasons.

The favorite: Jamal Agnew, Jaguars

The Jags gave Agnew a three-year, $14.2 million deal to leave the Lions in free agency, suggesting that new coach Urban Meyer will have no qualms about installing the 26-year-old as his team’s return man on both punts and kicks. Agnew has five career touchdowns on returns and is one of just 11 active players with a punt return and a kick return for a score.

Though it certainly won’t be an easy feat to achieve, Agnew does feel like a smart choice to select as a favorite to break the record. He’s a former first- team all-pro punt returner, which is important because he achieved the feat as a rookie (2017).

However, the most touchdown returns Agnew has been able to register in a year is two, which he did in 2017 and 2019. That means he’d have to triple that amount (plus one) to overcome Hester’s record, and if he did, it would be huge for a young Jags unit looking to surpass their one-win season in 2020.

Bears great Devin Hester explains how Titans almost drafted him

The Titans changed their mind at the very last second and didn’t end up taking Hester.

One of the more interesting stories we’ve heard leading up to the 2021 NFL draft is how the Tennessee Titans almost ended up with Chicago Bears great and legendary returner, Devin Hester, in the 2006 NFL draft.

Of course, Hester ended up going to the Bears in the second round of that year’s draft, but before Chicago could take him he was almost on his way to Nashville.

Hester recently told the story during an appearance on Sports Talk Chicago with Jon Zaghloul of how the Titans told him they would draft him with the 39th overall pick, only to quickly change their mind at the last second (H/T Bears Wire).

“I actually was getting drafted to the Titans,” Hester said. “They called me and congratulated me and everything. They were getting my information,  flight and everything, to go to the facility. And with the last five seconds on the clock, they went in a another direction. They told me ‘Devin, we got five seconds, we’re going in another direction’. Just like that and hung up.”

“I was hurt,” he said. “I cried. I cried all the way up until I got drafted pretty much.”

The Titans ended up trading the pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the No. 45 pick and a fourth-round selection. The Titans would draft running back LenDale White in that second-round spot.

Hester would go 12 picks later to Chicago and it’s safe to say things worked out for him and the Bears better than they worked out for White and the Titans.

He went on to become the greatest returner in NFL history, while also making four Pro Bowls and being named a First-Team All-Pro three times during his career.

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Former Bears KR Cordarrelle Patterson expected to sign with Falcons

It appears another key member of the 2020 Bears is set to join a new team as Cordarrelle Patterson is expected to sign with the Falcons.

It appears another key member of the 2020 Chicago Bears is set to join a new team.

All-Pro kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson visited with the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday and a deal could be finalized shortly, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Patterson spent two seasons with the Bears after signing a two-year, $10 million deal as a free agent in 2019. He led the league in return yardage in both 2019 and 2020, while scoring a touchdown in each season. Patterson averaged 29.5 and 29.1 yards per return in 2019 and 2020, respectively. He earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in each of those seasons as well.

Moments before Garafolo’s report, Patterson himself confirmed he will not be returning to the Windy City for the 2021 season.

The dynamic special teamer also spent time on offense, serving as the team’s backup running back, rushing for a career-high 232 yards. He became a fan favorite too, interacting with many on his social media platforms and even tried to recruit players to the Bears over the last couple of seasons.

Coincidentally, with the expected move to Atlanta, Patterson follows in another legendary Bears return specialist’s footsteps in Devin Hester, who spent eight seasons wowing fans in Chicago before continuing his career with the Falcons.

Patterson was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He also spent time with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots prior to joining the Bears.

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Former Bears great Devin Hester eligible for Hall of Fame in 2022

Devin Hester remains the greatest kicker returner in NFL history, and he’ll be eligible for the Hall of Fame for the first time in 2022.

On the eve of Super Bowl LV, the NFL announced the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2021, which includes Alan Faneca, Tom Flores, Calvin Johnson, John Lynch, Peyton Manning, Bill Nunn, Drew Pearson and Charles Woodson.

But now, the attention turns to the potential Hall of Fame class of 2022, where one of the greatest Chicago Bears in history will be eligible for the first time.

Former Bears kick returner Devin Hester is among those that will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year. And given how he literally changed the game, there’s an argument to be made that Hester should get in.

When you’re the best to ever play your position, that should be an automatic bid to the Hall of Fame. Hester was the best kick returner to ever play the game. Not only does he have the stats, he affected the game in a significant way.

Hester, who was a three-time first-team All Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, has an impressive resume. He has more punt returns (14) than anyone in NFL history with 14, his 20 total non-offensive touchdowns are also the most in league history, and he has the highest average yards per punt return among those with at least 300 returns in NFL history.

The only problem is special teamers rarely get inducted into the Hall of Fame. In fact, there are only three: kickers Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud and punter Ray Guy.

While the discussion has been ongoing about whether Hester will get be inducted into the Hall of Fame, we’re potentially one year away from getting clarity.

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Throwback Thursday: Devin Hester returns opening kickoff for TD in Super Bowl XLI

The Bears know a little something about making history in the Super Bowl, particularly when it comes to Devin Hester.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Super Bowl LV on Sunday, when the Bucs become the first team in NFL history to play in their home stadium for the big game.

The Chicago Bears know a little something about making history in the Super Bowl, particularly when it comes to Devin Hester, who made the first play of Super Bowl XLI the most memorable of the evening.

February 4, 2007: Devin Hester returns opening kickoff for TD in Super Bowl XLI

https://youtu.be/rGtxZlQwxNQ

Bears fans know how the rest plays out. In a monsoon at Hard Rock Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts bested the Bears 29-17 to win the Super Bowl. Hester provided the lone highlight for Chicago, returning the opening kickoff for a score for the first time in NFL history. Which felt right as he took the league by storm as a rookie in 2006 and never looked back.

Hester holds the NFL record with 19 kick-return touchdowns, 14 punt-return touchdowns and 20 return touchdowns, which includes punts, kickoffs, missed field goals, interceptions and fumbles.

There’s no doubt that Hester is the greatest kick returner in NFL history. But the question is whether being the best at his position will be enough to get him elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which he becomes eligible for in 2022.

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Several Ravens featured on NFL’s All-Decade team

The Baltimore Ravens have had a ton of great players over the years with several earning praise on the NFL’s All-Decade team

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The Baltimore Ravens have had a ton of success over the last decade. All under coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens have gone 98-62 with six of their 10 seasons ending in the playoffs, including a Super Bowl victory. Most NFL teams would love to have that resume and it’s largely thanks to the excellent players Baltimore has featured on their rosters over the years.

NFL.com released their All-Decade team and several Ravens players — past and present — made the cut.

  • G Marshal Yanda
  • DE Calais Campbell
  • S Earl Thomas
  • S Eric Weddle
  • K Justin Tucker
  • KR Devin Hester

It’s probably unfair to consider Campbell, Thomas and Hester as Ravens making this list though they’ve all been on the roster at some point. Campbell has yet to even put on the uniform after being traded to Baltimore this offseason, Thomas was signed last offseason and Hester played just 12 games for Baltimore. All three players really earned their place on the list well before joining the Ravens. Still, Campbell and Thomas are on Baltimore’s roster for the 2020 season, hopefully helping push the team towards a Super Bowl this decade.

Yanda and Tucker are the two homegrown Ravens — drafted or signed as a UDFA — to make the cut. They’re also two of the eight unanimous selections, joining players like quarterback Tom Brady and defensive end J.J. Watt as the obvious best players at their positions.

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4 Bears named to NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team

The Bears were well-represented in the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team, including current players Khalil Mack and Cordarrelle Patterson.

The Chicago Bears were well-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010s All-Decade Team that was released on Monday. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack and kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson were among the 53 players selected by the Hall of Fame selection committee. Former Bears return specialist Devin Hester and defensive end Julius Peppers were also selected.

Mack, drafted by the Oakland Raiders with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, has been a dynamic player for six seasons. He has 61.5 career sacks with four-straight season of double-digit sacks from 2015-19. He was traded to the Bears in 2018 for a pair of first-round draft picks and more in a blockbuster deal.

Patterson, meanwhile, has bounced around the league since he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings late in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but has consistently performed at a high level on special teams.

After spending four years as a Viking, Patterson went to the Raiders and then the New England Patriots before signing with the Bears in 2019. Patterson is the NFL’s active leader in kickoff return touchdowns with seven and is one shy of tying the league record held by Joshua Cribbs and Leon Washington.

Hester, drafted by the Bears in 2006 and Peppers, who signed as a free agent from the Carolina Panthers in 2010, were with the team until 2013. Hester also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks before calling it a career in 2017.

Since 2010, Hester has totaled eight kickoff and punt return touchdowns. Peppers went on to play for the Green Bay Packers from 2014-16 and returned to the Panthers in 2017-18 before retiring.

Both Peppers and Hester join Tom Brady as the only players to make both the 2000 and 2010 All-Decade Team, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.

While Hester and Peppers have both called it a career, Mack and Patterson show no signs of slowing down. Heading into 2020, could they both continue to play at a high level and be considered for the 2020s All Decade Team? Only time will tell.

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Looking back at the Jay Cutler trade 11 years ago today

Let’s take a look at the trade that went down in 2009, and the career that QB Jay Cutler had as a Chicago Bear.

Eleven years ago today, the Chicago Bears traded for quarterback Jay Cutler. Let’s look back at the trade that went down in 2009, and the career that Cutler had with the Bears.

In early 2009, the Bears traded Kyle Orton, a pair of first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Denver Broncos for their hopeful franchise quarterback in Cutler.

By comparison, during Orton’s three seasons with the Bears, he had a record of 21-12, while Cutler had a record of 17-20 in his first three seasons in Denver.

Orton was a proven winner here in Chicago, and Cutler had a bit of an attitude and seemed like he didn’t get along with the coaches in Denver, so maybe the trade was a little questionable at the time.

In his first season in 2009, Cutler threw for 3,666 yards, 27 touchdowns and 26 interceptions, while starting all 16 games. Ouch. It wasn’t the first year in Chicago many hoped for Cutler. The Bears went 7-9 and ended up missing the playoffs, and the Broncos ended up going 8-8 and also missing the playoffs. So you could call it a draw for both teams in the first year of the trade.

In 2010, it seemed like Cutler was a completely different quarterback, as he led the Bears to an 11-5 record, and they ended up winning the NFC North. In 15 games, Cutler threw for 3,274 yards, 23 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. That was a 10 interception drop-off that he had in 2009, which was a huge improvement.

Then in 2011, Cutler suffered an injury that cut short what was playing out to be a magical season when he broke his thumb against the Chargers. In 10 games, he threw for 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 7-3 record. Instead of a return trip to the playoffs, Chicago finished with an 8-8 record and were left wondering what could’ve been if Cutler had stayed healthy.

The Bears traded for Broncos receiver Brandon Marshall in 2012. Marshall and Cutler played together in Denver from 2006-2008, and they were reunited in Chicago.

Cutler ended up missing the ninth game in 2012 after getting hit hard during the Houston Texans game. The Bears ended up finishing 10-6 and still found a way to miss the playoffs. The 2012 season ended up being the last year for Lovie Smith as Bears head coach after nine years with the team, which included a Super Bowl appearance in 2006.

General manager Phil Emery quickly found a replacement for Smith, hiring offensive guru Marc Trestman in 2013. Trestman was a part of Steve Young and the 49ers’ success in the ’90s and he has won championships in the Canadian football league.

Cutler once again struggled with injury in 2013, where he only played in 11 games. He threw for 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while leading the Bears to a 5-6 record. Entering Week 17, the Bears and Packers matched up for the last game of the regular season, the Packers were 7-7-1 and the Bears had a record of 8-7. The Packers delivered a brutal 33-28 defeat, and the Bears missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record in Trestman’s first year as head coach.

In 2014, Cutler went 5-10 as the starter, he threw for 3,812 yards, 28 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. The Bears missed the playoffs with a 5-11 record. After only two seasons, Trestman would end up getting fired.

In 2015, changes were needed for this Bears’ team. They would find a new general manager in Ryan Pace, a new head coach in John Fox and Marshall and Martellus Bennet would leave the team.

In Cutler’s final two years with the Bears in 2015 and 2016, he started 20 games, throwing for 4,718 yards, 25 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The Bears ended up missing the playoffs in Cutler’s last two years, with records of 6-10 in 2015 and 3-13 in 2016.

During the 2017 offseason, the Bears held the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, and Bears’ fans know how that turned out as Pace would trade up from the third overall pick to the second overall pick to draft Mitchell Trubisky. Still a questionable move to this day on why Pace traded so many future picks just to move up one spot.

Even before drafting Trubisky, Cutler’s career as a Bear came to an end. He spent eight seasons in Chicago, leading them to a 51-51 record as starter, throwing for 154 touchdowns and 109 interceptions. But during those eight years, the Bears only made the playoffs once.

Seeing Cutler play with guys like Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Devin Hester, and Johhny Knox, to name a few, was exciting.

Cutler was by far one of my favorite Bears. When the Bears traded for Cutler, how did you feel? Did you like the trade? What was your favorite moment?

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Ravens sign P Sam Koch to a 2-year extension

The Baltimore Ravens, looking for some salary-cap relief, gave punter Sam Koch a contract extension that will keep him in town through 2022

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The Baltimore Ravens are making sure their special teams unit is solidified for the next few years. According to the team’s Twitter account, the Ravens have signed punter Sam Koch to a two-year contract extension. Koch was entering the final year of his contract and will now be signed through the 2022 season.

The move not only ensures Koch remains with the team — joining kicker Justin Tucker who got a contract extension last offseason — but is likely some relief on the salary cap as well. Koch was set to make $3.25 million in base salary this season, according to Over The Cap.

Koch is Baltimore’s longest-tenured player currently on the roster, having played for 14 seasons after joining the Ravens via a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Though Koch has only gone to one Pro Bowl over his career, he’s widely considered to be one of the best punters in the game.

Of his 1046 career punts, 405 of them have been downed inside the 20-yard line (38.72%) while only 81 have been touchbacks. One of the best return specialists the NFL has ever known, Devin Hester, said he hated going up against Koch. Hester noted Koch had a punt that was like a “leaf dropping 100 feet from the air” and that it could “swoop back and forth.”

Bears: 6 storylines to watch in Super Bowl LIV

The Bears aren’t playing in Super Bowl LIV,  but there are no shortage of storylines for fans to follow as the 49ers and Chiefs face off.

The Bears aren’t playing in Super Bowl LIV,  but there are no shortage of storylines for fans to follow as the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Miami.

Whether it’s former players and coaches getting a shot at a world championship or memories of Hard Rock Stadium or thoughts of making it to the Super Bowl, there’s plenty to watch.

Here are six storylines involving the Bears heading into Super Bowl LIV:

1. Super Bowl Returns to Miami

https://youtu.be/7HN_d09Ivd8

It’s been 13 years since the Bears played in Super Bowl XLI, which was the last time they saw the big game. So with the Super Bowl returning to Miami, there’s a lot of nostalgia when it comes to the 2006 Bears and what they almost accomplished.

The highlight of that Super Bowl loss to the Colts came on the game’s first play, when Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown. As the Bears celebrate 100 years, it’s a play that remains iconic.

It was all downhill after Hester’s return touchdown, as the Bears offense struggled to move the ball and the Bears defense struggled to stop the Colts as a monsoon rained down on Miami.

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