Devin Duvernay has racked up some pretty decent accolades in his career as a return specialist in the NFL.

The former third round pick was named first team All-Pro as a returner in 2021 and made back-to-back Pro Bowls as a return specialist in ‘21 and ‘22.

But despite those accolades, he’s still going to have to earn the right to be called his first name. Because in Chicago, being a return specialist named “Devin” comes with a certain set of pressure and expectations.

“Devin obviously has got all the accolades that you guys can say,” Bears special team coordinator Richard Hightower told reporters last month. “I will say, we are gonna call him Duvernay until he makes some plays, then we will refer to him as Devin.”

Hightower then referenced the original Devin return specialist in Chicago, Devin Hester, perhaps the best returner in the history of the sport, who is the only return specialist to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.

“’Cause we got a Devin around here that is THE Devin,” Hightower said. “That’s a challenge for Duve. We’ve had great conversations and he’s looking forward to competing. Nothing is gonna be given; obviously we have an open roster spot there.”

Duvernay joined the Bears in April after being released by Jacksonville. He was entering the second year of a two-year, 8.5-million dollar contract he had signed in 2024 with Jaguars before being released.

Duvernay had 11 catches for 79 yards as receiver with Jacksonville while also returning 19 punts for 167 yards and 14 kickoff attempts for 351 yards. The 8.8 average on punt returns was the lowest of Duvernay’s career.

Hightower is the lone holdover from Matt Eberflus’ staff, where he was also the special teams coordinator. He arrived in the Windy City in 2022 after five seasons with San Francisco 49ers as their special teams coordinator. 

Hightower will look to get the best out of Duvernay in 2025, and Bears fans will hope that they can watch another Devin create some electrifying returns at Soldier Field.