Devin Hester sounded like a broken man when head coach Lovie Smith was fired by the Chicago Bears. After another frustrating end to the season, along without a playoff-appearance, Hester's frustration boiled over as he threatened to retire. After about a month, he reconsidered.
Now Hester says he might need a change of scenery. With a year left on his contract, Hester spoke about his future and determined that he might be better served playing elsewhere.
"I'm going to try to get two or three more years in,'' Hester told the Chicago-Tribune on Saturday. "I think I have that much left in me. At the same time, I think I do need a fresh start.''
Hester sounds like he wants to stay, but after seeing his role diminish on offense, he doesn't know if he sees himself in the Bears' immediate plans. That has much to do with his frustration. Throw in Smith's firing and you have a player that says he might need to be traded.
"It's a possibility,'' he said. "I'm loyal to my team. But the fans and my teammates have to understand where I'm coming from.
"I don't want to walk away from this game with another season going the way it ended this year. … It might have to take a fresh start somewhere else.''
Hester is a playmaker, but he's more of a one-trick pony than a guy to include in an offensive game-plan. I don't see anyone making a trade for him, but remembering that the Oakland Raiders were roped into taking Carson Palmer off the Cincinnati Bengals' hands, so anything is possible.
