 On April 30, 2012, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice and general manager Phil Emery announced that Hester's role would be reduced down to at least 4th-string, and Tice mentioned that the Bears would utilize Hester in a series of plays called the "Hester Package", instead of an every-down receiver. In the season, Hester caught 23 passes, a career low, while only catching one touchdown in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. He also failed to return a kick / punt for a touchdown, and ranked 22nd in punt return average during 2012. After Lovie Smith's firing on December 31, Hester stated that he considered retirement, though he tweeted that his consideration was not related to Smith.
