 On November 13, Hester returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions.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, which occurred in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.