Two years ago, Kalif Raymond came to the Lions trying to revive his career. Now he's a key piece of their future.
The Lions have signed Raymond to a two-year extension that makes him "one of the highest-paid punt returners in the NFL," according to Ian Rapoport. The 29-year-old, who's also emerged as a reliable receiver for Detroit, was set to be a free agent after this season.
"I remember walking off the field last year, first time with a winning season, compared to what we did in 2021. It was one of the happiest moments I had, man," Raymond said last month. "It felt really cool. Just excited to embark on this new journey going forward, because it’s all about now."
Raymond was a little-known player when he signed a one-year deal with the Lions in 2021. Undrafted out of Holy Cross in 2016, he had bounced between four teams, including two separate stints with both the Giants and Titans. He had begun to establish himself as a return man in Tennessee, but had just 30 catches through five NFL seasons when he arrived in Detroit.
The Lions gave him a chance, and Raymond ran with. On top of being named a second-team All-Pro punt returner last season when he averaged 13.2 yards per return, tops in the NFL among players with at least 20 returns, Raymond has caught 95 passes for 1,192 yards and four TD's the past two seasons. He caught 47 passes last season without a single drop.
He's also a fierce competitor and even harder worker who reflects the culture the Lions have established under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. Campbell, in particular, has sung Raymond's praises from the moment he showed up.
Now he'll be sticking around for a few more years.
"I’m thankful for that more than anything," Raymond said. "To be anywhere more than a year in this league is very tough, so to be here going on my third, I’m nothing but perfect."
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