No Hester deal yet; practice status uncertain

There is, as yet, no announcement on a contract extension for Pro Bowl return specialist Devin Hester, who was on the ONU campus in time for breakfast this morning but was not available to comment other than to say he was glad to be here.

It also remains to be seen whether Hester will practice today at 3 p.m. without a new deal in place. But, by being here, he avoids the $15,000 a day in fines that the Bears are permitted to assess under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. A possible scenario is that Hetser dresses for practice but doesn't participate until his extension is finalized.

Teammate Tommie Harris, who recently signed a four-year $40 million contract extension, has been in constant communication with Hester and advised him to get into camp if for no other reason than to save the 15-grand a day, which is a significant amount considering his 2008 base salary of $445,000.