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Posey H8er wrote:Well I do not think he liked the $15,000 per day fine he was getting. But good to see him at camp, where he is surely needed.

WEFFPIM wrote:Needs more exclamation points

4:30 p.m.: Besides his Pro Bowl talent, this is why fans love Tommie Harris. He is more interactive than your new Wii. During a practice break, a fan with a loud voice yells, "Tommie, I'm wearing your jersey tomorrow." Harris looked over with a smirk. "Why don't you have it on today?" Harris replied, chuckling.

4:18 p.m.: Still no Hester, but Rashied Davis continued a strong start to camp with a nifty one-hand grab from Kyle Orton during 7 on 7. By the way, this is Rex Grossman's day to run the No. 1 offense.

3:55 p.m. Not only is Hester still missing from practice, but first-round draft pick Chris Williams isn't on the field either. That would be a cloudy day here, even without the overcast skies. Still no explanation regarding Hester, but it's still early in practice.

3:20 p.m. It's the special teams portion of practice but the special player everybody came to see, Devin Hester, still hasn't arrived. Hester arrived in Bourbonnais Thursday night but for reasons not yet clear hasn't stepped onto the practice field. That could mean something's up with a new contract or something else unrelated. We'll look into it.

1:33 p.m. Jason McKie has never been so happy to have been awakened suddenly in the middle of the night.

"[Devin Hester] woke me up at 1 o'clock in the morning and was like, 'I'm here,' and I’m like, 'So what, go to bed,' " McKie recalled Friday about how he found out Hester ended his two-day holdout protesting his contract.

Suffice to say everybody associated with the Bears rested a little easier after Hester arrived.

McKie was among the Bears players who were as surprised as they were pleased. No new contract agreement has been reached but Hester's return to camp indicates both sides have agreed it’s easier to negotiate with No. 23 back in the fold.

"Everybody was glad he was back and it's always good to have the full team practicing together and building that chemistry," McKie said. "He’s definitely a team player and wanted to be around his team."

Hester will explain his holdout after Friday afternoon's practice. It will be the first of the preseason in full pads and for that reason it's not yet known to what extent Hester will participate. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner isn't concerned. In Turner's mind, at least Hester will be in the wide receivers meeting and closer to the huddle than he was sitting at home.

"I'm not nearly as grumpy as I was yesterday," Turner said. "Big smile."

Now begins the process of incorporating Hester into the offense as a full-time wide receiver. Turner pointed out how Hester can learn a different nuance every day, which is why getting to practice was so important.

"It might be the way a corner plays or the way a safety plays, every day something new happens," Turner said. "He’s come a long way and a big reason is because he's committed to it full-time."

That commitment convinced some of Hester's teammates that his holdout, like his kickoff returns, would be over before you know it.

"We all knew he wanted to be here as much as anybody and that it'd be only a short period of time," tight end Greg Olsen said. "It was just business."

11:41 a.m. Devin Hester will address his return to Bears camp and reasons for missing the first two days after practice Friday. It's not clear how much Hester will participate in the practice, expected to be in full pads. Hester's arrival Thursday night surprised even some Bears teammates.

8:26 a.m. It’s over.

Devin Hester ended a tumultuous two-day training camp holdout Friday morning by reporting to Olivet Nazarene University, sources said. Hester was spotted on campus Friday morning and expected to be on the field for Friday’s 3 p.m. practice.

The Bears reinstated Hester to the training camp roster and let go of tight end Marcus Stone to make room.

During a radio interview Thursday on ESPN1000, GM Jerry Angelo sounded optimistic and predicted "good news." It’s unclear yet whether a new contract agreement had been reached with agent Eugene Parker or both sides simply agreed to keep negotiating.

The details aren't important to Bears coaches and players. The player that means more to their ability to score points than anybody is back in the fold for the season.

Good for him and the Bears. He'll get a lot further in negotiations with management by being in camp and working hard to prove his worth as opposed to holding out, ICLO.

Well I do not think he liked the $15,000 per day fine he was getting. But good to see him at camp, where he is surely needed.

dougthonus wrote:I doubt that. I think the hold out would have definitely helped him in negotiations.