A core player in Detroit is headed to Chicago.
The Bears are signing receiver and punt returner Kalif Raymond, one of the original additions for the Lions under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. The nine-year vet has reportedly agreed to a one-year, $5.1 million deal with Chicago, reuniting with his former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El.
Raymond says he was closer to out of the NFL than in it when he signed with the Lions in 2021 after bouncing around practice squads for five years. He wound up playing 77 games for Detroit over the next five years, earning second-team All-Pro honors as a return man in 2022 and 2024 and serving as a spark-plug in the passing game.
He also became one of the most well-liked players in the Lions' locker room for his toughness, work ethic and general positivity. He memorably played through broken ribs in Detroit's statement win at Lambeau Field in the 2022 regular season finale. No one in the building worked harder or squeezed more out of his own abilities than Raymond. That includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, who saluted Raymond via X on Tuesday as the "greatest teammate I've ever had."
On the field, it isn't necessarily a huge loss for the Lions. Raymond, who turns 32 in August, is coming off one of his least productive seasons in Detroit. He caught 24 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown and averaged just 7.5 yards per punt returns, his lowest mark with the Lions.
But his presence will certainly be missed, along with his ability to spark the team in the return game. Now he joins the division rival who just unseated Detroit atop the NFC North.