For almost a month now, the running narrative around Kalif Raymond signing with the Chicago Bears was that he’d been allowed to leave by Detroit. They had other plans at wide receiver and no longer needed him. The truth, as always, is far different. It turns out the Lions were more than eager to bring the wide receiver back. They deeply valued him in the locker room as a leader, on offense as a blocker, and as a dangerous punt returner. Coaches and teammates alike wanted him back.
There was one problem. The Bears were also interested. They’d just traded D.J. Moore and lost Olamide Zaccheaus to free agency. They needed depth behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. Not only that, but Raymond had sensed a shift in Detroit’s offensive philosophy last year. According to Dan Pompei, he normally would’ve chosen to stay with the Lions. However, he felt his opportunities to play wouldn’t have been nearly as high. That would be a different case in Chicago.
The Seahawks and 49ers were also in pursuit, but his choice came down to the Lions and Bears. Raymond’s feelings for Campbell, the organization and the community ran deep, and the pull to stay was powerful…
…The lure to Chicago was opportunity. The post-Johnson Lions veered to bigger wide receivers and had reduced Raymond’s offensive role. Johnson, however, remembers the wide receiver who was targeted 71 times in 2021 and 64 times in 2022.
“Is he going to be a 1,000-yard receiver?” Johnson says. “No. But I think he’s capable of a bigger role in our offense than what he had a year ago.”
Raymond is counting on it.
“I wanted to play in Ben’s offense,” he says. “He’s extraordinarily creative, and honestly, you can be in any spot on the offense, and he will find a way to get you the ball. Just to be under him is a great privilege.”
Kalif Raymond proved how far Ben Johnson’s reputation goes.
In 90% of cases like his, he would’ve stayed put. Detroit is still a good team filled with players and coaches he knows well. He would go unchallenged as the primary punt returner and almost certainly have a place as a blocker in the run game. Yet it’s important to remember he is still a wide receiver. He wants to catch passes like his idol Steve Smith did for so many years. It just wasn’t going to happen with the Lions, who have St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac Tesla.
Coach Johnson doesn’t care about size. He’s more interested in route-running, blocking willingness/skill, and whether you can catch passes. Raymond checked those boxes during their time together between 2022 and 2024. Zacchaeus got plenty of opportunities last season. He just failed to take advantage. If Raymond gets around the same number, he’ll have a chance to put up some serious stats. The fact it will have come at the expense of the Lions will be a mere icing on the cake.
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Raymond brings a lot to the table.
It might be cliché, but the NFL has long been a league that finds great value in grizzled veterans joining young up-and-coming teams. It was Jack Reynolds joining the San Francisco 49ers in 1981. It was Charles Haley being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 and LeGarrette Blount signing with Philadelphia in 2017. Kalif Raymond isn’t at the same level as those players, but that doesn’t mean his influence won’t be felt. His ability to push and connect with teammates is well-documented.
He works hard and plays harder. You’ll often find that competitive athletes feed off of energy like that. It was why Johnson wanted to bring him in. The head coach felt that too many of his young players didn’t grasp the sense of purpose required to compete for a championship. Raymond will set about changing that. Anybody who may not have understood the sacrifices required will soon enough. Those who continue resisting the change will soon find themselves elsewhere.
