Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo said he would take care of receiver/ kick returner extraordinaire Devin Hester if he came to camp. And he kept his word.
The deal that Devin Hester showed up Friday to work out was finally hammered out Sunday, with the Bears agreeing to a four-year contract extension with the wide receiver/return man that could be worth as much as $40 million.
The contract, which locks up Hester with the Bears through 2013, includes $15 million in guarantees—the type of reward he was looking for after holding for two days in protest of a scheduled $445,000 salary. If Hester develops into the No. 1 receiver he believes he can be, then he will be able to trigger up to $10 million in escalators in the final year of the deal, according to a league source.
Hester becomes the 10th Bears starter and fifth Pro Bowl player the Bears have signed to a contract extension this off-season. It is believed this new contract will make Hester the highest-paid return man in NFL history.
For a franchise that has been criticized in the recent past for not taking care of their players, the Bears have done a nice job locking up their key players over the last two years. Some may think $15 million in guarantees is a little steep for a returner, but then those people clearly haven’t watch Bears games the past two years. Hester is worth every penny.
