Ben Johnson "stood on the table" and wanted Kalif Raymond in Chicago
· Yahoo Sports
After trading away DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills and letting Devin Duvernay walk in free agency after one year, the Bears needed some versatility, someone to return punts and kickoffs, but also add a veteran presence to a predominantly young receivers room.
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Saying quiet in free agency compared to most years, the Bears signed wide receiver and special teams returner, Kalif Raymond, who spent the last five years with the Detroit Lions and four years in the Ben Johnson offense, and is someone who has earned the respect and trust of Johnson and receivers coach Antwaan Randle El.
So much so that when Raymond hit free agency this offseason, Johnson and Randle El "stood on the table" and wanted to bring Raymond to Chicago and reunite.
"Anytime you have a touchpoint with a player, whether it's through free agency or the draft, it helps (that) you know what you're going to get," Johnson said. "Anytime one of our coaches or personnel guys has a chance to be with another player, you feel pretty good. Absolutely, I stood on the table for Kalif. So did Randle El, so did J.T. Barrett. We know what he's going to bring to the table. He's a phenomenal teammate. It starts there. He's going to elevate that locker room. He's going to practice his tail off. That's what he's done his entire career."
In Detroit, Raymond recorded 1,485 punt return yards with three touchdowns and 171 receptions, 2,185 receiving yards, and 8 receiving touchdowns. He saw career-high numbers in the Lions' offense and earned the trust of Ben Johnson, who was the Lions' offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2025.
In Johnson's first season calling for the Lions, Raymond had a career-high 616 receiving yards on 48 receptions and even carried the ball seven times.
"Man, really, really nice. I've been on a couple of new teams before, and I always tell people that first year going to another team, man, no matter if you're young or old, to be able to have that adjustment period is a real thing," Raymond said during his introductory press conference back in March. "But the more familiarity you have, whether it be faces or scheme, it helps kind of reduce the time it takes to get adjusted."
Raymond was an undrafted rookie out of Holy Cross in 2016 and has now carved his way into nine NFL seasons, and is looking to add his 10th with the Chicago Bears. He started to break out with the Titans from 2018 through 2020, and thrived for five seasons in Detroit thanks to his work ethic and professionalism.
"I've been cut a lot of times," Raymond said with a light laugh. "But each time I always tell myself, I'm not going to get cut from the same thing twice. And in the NFL, it's a 1% game. It's very, very slim pickings out here. So, you kind of have to have that work ethic, some talent, but you also kind of need a little bit of luck. And I ran into a very, very positive situation over there, and it gave me an opportunity to grow. So that way, in 2021, when I first got there, I was a better player in 2022. And I'm just constantly working on my game. But they gave me the opportunity there."
Expect to see Raymond lined out in the slot, in the backfield, possibly throwing passes, and for sure returning punts. Over the years, Chicago has had its special gadget players, like Tarik Cohen and Cordarelle Patterson, and now Raymond gets to play that role, reunited with Johnson.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears excited to work Kalif Raymond into offense and special teams