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Hester, Forte will retire as Bears

By The Sports Xchange
Former Atlanta Falcons punt returner Devin Hester tries to elude a tackle during a game against the New York Jets. Hester will retire as a member of the Chicago Bears. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Former Atlanta Falcons punt returner Devin Hester tries to elude a tackle during a game against the New York Jets. Hester will retire as a member of the Chicago Bears. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Wide receiver Devin Hester and running back Matt Forte will sign one-day contracts with the Chicago Bears next Monday so they can retire as members of the organization in which they each spent the first eight seasons of their NFL careers.

The event will take place at the PNC Center at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill.

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Hester, who was drafted by the Bears in the second round in 2006 out of Miami (Fla.), recorded five return touchdowns (three on punts, two on kickoffs) as a rookie, both Bears records. His three punt return touchdowns as a rookie were the most since Jack Christensen (four) in 1951.

Over the course of his 11-year career with the Bears, Atlanta Falcons (2014-15) and Baltimore Ravens (2016), he totaled 20 return touchdowns (14 punts, five kickoffs, one on a missed field goal), the most in NFL history.

Hester also had 255 receptions for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns in his career.

Forte, who also was selected by the Bears in the second round after playing at Tulane, played in Chicago through the 2015 season. He rushed for 1,238 yards and caught 63 passes as a rookie.

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In 2014, he set a single-season record for an NFL running back by making 102 receptions.

In eight seasons with the Bears, Forte rushed for 8,602 yards and 45 touchdowns while adding 4,116 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

Forte finished his career by playing the last two seasons with the New York Jets (2016-17) and wound up with 9,796 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns, in addition to 4,672 yards on 554 receptions, with 21 touchdowns.

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