FanHouse

Last month FanHouse's Josh Alper noted that the Bears may work on a new contract for return man Devin Hester, but that it's hard to determine how much a player like Hester is worth: He is, after all, a rather unique talent.

Last night on NFL Network, Adam Schefter reported that Hester has two more years on his contract, that he's one of the most underpaid players in the league at less than $500,000 a year, and that he believes he deserves more. So will this become a sticky situation?

One thing that works in Hester's favor is that last night he had by far his most complete game as a receiver, catching five passes for 67 yards. This wasn't just the "Hester, go long" strategy, it was a "Hester, run routes like you're an actual wide receiver" strategy. It didn't always work -- both of Brian Griese's interceptions were on passes intended for Hester -- but it did indicate that the Bears no longer just think of him as the best return man in the NFL, they also think of him as a real wide receiver.

And if you're a real wide receiver who's also the best return man in the NFL, you're worth way, way more than $500,000 a year. Maybe 10 times that. So even though the two years left on his contract give the Bears the leverage, expect Hester to get paid.