After working out Devin Hester on back-to-back days, the Ravens saw enough to believe he can help their uncertain return game.
The two sides reached an agreement in principle on a 1-year deal, which should be finalized later Sunday. The Ravens will then have to make a corresponding roster movement to fit Hester on the 53-man roster. One possibility is moving safety Matt Elam to injured reserve.
ESPN first reported that an agreement will be reached.
The Ravens have struggled all summer to find a return man. They used three players to return punts in the preseason and seven guys got game repetitions at kick returner.
Third-year wide receiver Michael Campanaro, the presumed favorite for the primary return job, was placed on injured reserve Saturday with a calf strain. The Ravens also yesterday cut sixth-round pick and former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds after he struggled in the role for much of the summer.
Hester, 33, is regarded as one of the best return specialists in NFL history. He is a four-time Pro Bowl selection and he holds the NFL record for return touchdowns with 20 and punt return scores with 14.
However, he is coming off a toe injury that limited him to just five games with the Atlanta Falcons last year, and required offseason surgery. He took a physical with the Ravens on Friday and the team apparently is comfortable enough with his health to sign him to a deal.
Over 10 NFL seasons, all but two of them spent with the Chicago Bears, Hester has averaged 12.1 yards on punt returns and 24.9 yards on kickoff returns.