Devin Hester Exclusive: The Bears, Kickoff Rules, and Super Bowl Moments

We were fortunate to sit down this week with NFL Hall of Fame return specialist Devin Hester for an exclusive interview.

During the conversation, Hester shared his thoughts on the Chicago Bears – where he spent the majority of his 11-year career – as well as the Atlanta Falcons and the Baltimore Ravens, two of his final stops. He also reflected on his iconic moment in Super Bowl XLI, discussed Malachi Toney’s future, weighed in on the NFL’s new kickoff rules, previewed the upcoming Super Bowl, and, of course, spoke about the Hard Rock Bet Party campaign.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson, and next steps

We got started with the Chicago Bears, where Hester spent eight seasons. We discussed Caleb Williams’ progression as a young quarterback, the importance of Ben Johnson and how the Detroit Lions miss him on the coaching staff, what the Bears must address to take the next step, and his iconic opening kickoff return in Super Bowl XLI.

What did you make of Caleb Williams’ sophomore season? What parts of his game should he focus on in order to reach the next level?

Firstly, what he did this year was a huge step up from his rookie season.

This was only his second season, and he’s definitely going in the right direction as an NFL quarterback. When it comes to his third year coming up in 2026, I can see Caleb really taking another huge step.

You have to remember, Caleb came into this season in a situation where he had a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle (who is now in Baltimore), and a new head coach in Ben Johnson. So, this was a learning curve for him.

Whenever you have a new offensive coordinator or a new head coach calling the plays, the whole offense tends to start off slowly. But as the season went on, you could tell they gradually started understanding the system and they got more comfortable with it.

In terms of what Williams needs to do, he just needs to keep relying on what he’s good at. Especially keeping plays alive. He needs to keep trusting in his ability to do that because that’s what makes him so special. It makes him unique among other quarterbacks.

So, if he can keep doing that and trusting in his ability, everything will go the way Bears fans want it to go next season.

How much did the Detroit Lions miss Ben Johnson this year?

Yeah, I think they missed him a lot. I think that there was a huge drop-off from those guys.

You can see it in the way the offense played. Of course, they still had Jahmyr Gibbs, who is an amazing running back, but you could see in the passing game that they weren’t what they used to be.

You could tell that they were trying to continue the offense and run it similarly to previous years. But it just wasn’t the same as it was when Johnson was calling the plays.

What areas do the Bears need to target in order to go even further next season?

I’m not sure what’s currently going on with the linebackers, but I know we had some key injuries there this year, especially towards the end of the season. Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell all missed time.

Edwards suffered a serious-looking injury against the Packers, and Sewell missed the end of the season with a torn Achilles. If they’re not ready to go for the start of next season, then that’s a situation that needs looking at.

A couple of pieces on both the offensive and defensive lines, too. I feel like those are a couple of places that need to be focused on.

I don’t know what’s going on with DJ Moore and his situation. I’m hearing a lot of trade rumors. I don’t know how true that is. I like the young receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, but you always want a veteran guy like DJ in there too.

So, if we can keep DJ, that’s a plus. If not, we need to find another veteran receiver who has at least seven or eight years of experience to bring into the room. Hopefully, they can keep DJ though.

You famously returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLI. What was going through your mind as you prepared to receive the kickoff?

A lot of things were going through my mind, man. But it was mainly jitters. I didn’t want to make a mistake and put my team in a tough situation.

But at the same time, I was praying that I was able to get my hands on the ball because, as you know, there was a lot of talk going on before the Super Bowl on whether the Indianapolis Colts were going to actually kick the ball to me.

So, I was just praying that I had the opportunity to get my hands on it. When I did, I just wanted to make sure that I made the best ‌of that opportunity, and thankfully, I did.

The Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins’ future, and Matt Ryan’s new role

Hester spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. We discussed Michael Penix Jr.’s latest injury and franchise quarterback status, Kirk Cousins’ future in the NFL, and Matt Ryan’s new role in the front office.

Based on his injury history and play before his latest knee injury, do you think Michael Penix Jr. can still be a franchise quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons?

I’m hoping so. He was a high draft pick, and they gave up a lot in order to trade up and get him.

Whenever you draft one of those highly rated quarterbacks in the draft and then injuries start to become a part of their career, you always pray and hope that they can overcome those injuries.

You just hope they can be the player everyone expected them to be. If he can’t, then the Falcons need to start thinking about the next guy they can get to lead the franchise.

Do you think Kirk Cousins showed he can still be a good starting quarterback in the NFL?

Most definitely. Kirk is a great veteran quarterback who understands the game so well.

He understands game management, timing, when to take risks, and when not to take risks. He’s a great guy who has been doing this for a long time. He’s a great asset to a team like the Falcons, who have a franchise first-round draft pick quarterback.

And if your young quarterback is struggling with injuries or inconsistencies, like Penix Jr. has done, then Cousins is the perfect guy to step in and fill that role.

There’s talk about Kirk being cut due to his salary, but he could still be valuable in that locker room. You still don’t know what you’re going to get out of Penix Jr. in terms of his play or his health.

So, having Kirk is like a safety net. You don’t want to be stuck with a quarterback who you bring in that doesn’t know the offense. Kirk has been there for a while now, and he understands the offense. So, he’s a great, great starter, but he can also be a great, great backup quarterback.

You always want to see your first-round draft pick starting at quarterback, but you also want to have that veteran safety blanket, just in case things don’t pan out.

Your former quarterback, Matt Ryan, was recently hired as the Falcons’ president of football. Could you see Ryan was destined for a front-office role when he was a player?

To be honest, as players, you never really think about things like that. Having said that, it wasn’t much of a surprise. The Falcons organization wants to keep guys like Matt Ryan around the building, and this is a great way of doing it.

He knows the organization. He was there for almost his entire career as their franchise quarterback, and he did great things for them. So, you want to keep this type of player around your organization.

This is a great move by the Falcons, but also a great opportunity for Matt.

Malachi Toney, familiar faces, the NFL’s new kickoff rules, Super Bowl LX, and the Hard Rock Bet Party

Finally, we discussed Miami Hurricanes explosive wide receiver Malachi Toney, who plays at Hester’s alma mater, a few former connections making headlines, the NFL’s new kickoff rules, the electric returners in Super Bowl LX, and his experience filming the Hard Rock Bet Party campaign alongside fellow NFL players and athletes.

How impressed were you with Miami Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney? How high is his ceiling?

Malachi Toney has only scratched the surface of his ability right now. He had an unbelievable first year in college football, and he was a big reason why we even made it to the national championship game.

That alone speaks highly of what type of player this guy is. He was a true freshman, and when you look at his performances this year, it’s so impressive. At minimum, we’re expecting the same thing from him next year, but he’ll likely be even better.

Whether it’s players who played for Miami or fans, we think very highly of Malachi.

In terms of a pro comparison, he reminds me a little bit of Amon-Ra St. Brown. He’s a similar type of receiver to that.

You spent some time as a Baltimore Raven before Lamar Jackson was there, but what did you make of Lamar’s performances when healthy this season? Should Ravens fans be concerned that he has lost a step?

I think it’s hard to be too critical of Lamar Jackson’s performance this season. He had a lot of injuries he was dealing with, including a hamstring injury. This limited his reps and ability.

We all know the type of player Lamar is when he’s healthy. So, if he has any type of injury that affects his legs, then that’s 50% of what makes him special gone. He loses that speed. He loses that ability to scramble and keep plays alive.

So, Lamar coming back next year healthy after a full offseason of preparation will be big. He’ll get those nagging injuries out of the picture, and he’ll be Lamar again.

I wouldn’t be worried about him losing a step at all. I think all his issues this season were purely down to those nagging injuries.

Mike LaFleur was on the Falcons staff during your second year in Atlanta. He has just been named the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Do you have any insights on what Cardinals fans can expect from LaFleur? Can he help turn Kyler Murray’s career around?

First of all, he’s going to try to revamp that whole offense. That’s the type of mindset that he has. He’s a great offensive mind, so you will see a difference on that side of the ball immediately.

They already have some talent in Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, and some other key guys, so he’ll have some pieces to work with, and hopefully, it’s a quick turnaround for the Cardinals.

I definitely think he can help turn Kyler Murray’s career around too. He loves the type of quarterback that Kyler is. He loves a quarterback who can keep plays alive, scramble, and is super athletic.

So, if he can get everyone on the same page in terms of Kyler and the receivers, the sky is the limit for those guys when it comes to the offense.

What are your thoughts on the NFL’s new kickoff rules? Do you think the rules have had a positive or negative impact on the game?

I think the new kickoff rules have definitely had a positive impact on returners.

It’s made it possible for those guys to get more returns. If you look at previous years, we saw a bunch of touchbacks every game.

But you saw a difference this year. The new rules have forced a lot of kickers to kick to guys rather than out of the end zone. This has created a lot more opportunities for players to return the ball now.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were a familiar opponent during your time in Chicago. What did you make of Rodgers’ performances last season in Pittsburgh?

Even though they reached the playoffs, I felt it was a down year for those guys. Especially on offense.

When you watch the games, you can see the receivers didn’t really seem like they were on the same page as Rodgers. There were a lot of dropped passes. So, to be honest, I thought they really struggled on the offensive side of the football.

If Rodgers comes back another year and those guys have another year under their belt together, they might be able to get it together.

Hiring Mike McCarthy can definitely help too. He coached Rodgers for several years. He knows what type of quarterback he is. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. So, again, if Aaron were to come back, I’m sure McCarthy would make sure that he is a little more comfortable than he was this past season.

McCarthy will make sure Rodgers and the offensive coordinator are on the same page as well, and he’d play to his ability.

Super Bowl LX sees the Seattle Seahawks face off against the New England Patriots. Both teams have superstar returners in Rashid Shaheed and Marcus Jones. What are your thoughts on both of these players?

It’s exciting. I’m pretty sure they’re each going to get around three or four returns at least.

As a fan, you always want to see a big return, as they’re always exciting.

To be honest, with how good these two guys are, I can see one of them breaking one. I don’t know if it’s going to go to the house, but I can see it making a big impact on the game.

As a returner, it’s definitely exciting to have two returners in the spotlight for the biggest game of the year. Sometimes when you get to the Super Bowl, you have one returner you’re looking forward to watching, but this one has one on each side.

I know deep down that those two guys are going to be competitive. They’ll be competing against each other to see who has the better game. So, look for those guys to play really hard when it comes to the return game.

In terms of the game itself, if I had to bet, I think I’d be going with Seattle this year.

What was it like filming the Hard Rock Bet Party with so many of your former teammates?

It was really fun.

We had an opportunity to reunite and spend the whole day filming, just collaborating. We were talking about the good old days, so it was really fun.

It was great that we got to enjoy that day and also put on a nice show with some hard work.