A former Chicago Bears veteran wide receiver and return man is joining forces with one of their NFC North rivals ahead of Week 6’s main slate of games.
According to The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero, the Detroit Lions are signing former Bears wide receiver and return specialist DeAndre Carter to their practice squad after hosting him for an official roster workout on Wednesday, October 14.
“Veteran WR DeAndre Carter is signing with the Lions’ practice squad, per source,” Pelissero wrote Thursday on X. “An experienced return man.”
Carter played 17 games for the Bears in two stints, but he saw the most of his action in 2024 when he served as their primary punt and kick returner. He averaged 9.3 return yards on 17 punts and 31.9 return yards on 15 kicks, ranking third in the league in the latter category among returners who fielded double-digit kicks in his 13 games.
Carter also made a minimal impact as a receiver with nine catches for 72 yards.
The Bears and Lions won’t meet until their Thanksgiving Day matchup on November 26, but Carter could potentially be in play if he earns a role with Detroit by then.
Bears News: Zavion Thomas Has 10th-Most Kick Return Yards
The Bears are long past asking Carter to return kicks for them, but their current kick returner — third-round rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas — is making progress after a career-best showing against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5.
Thomas played his most snaps yet for the Bears on both offense (15) and special teams (seven) during Week 5’s blowout loss to the Packers, ripping off the longest kick return (61) of his career and fielding six total kicks for 192 return yards.
Thomas also made the most of his limited offensive snaps, catching his only target for 11 yards and taking one handoff for 11 rushing yards.
While Thomas’ blazing speed has not yet led to consistent results for the Bears’ return game, his big game against the Packers pushed him into the league’s top 10. He has the 10th-most kick return yards (362) and is one of just three returners with at least 350 return yards on fewer than 15 kick returns.
Kalif Raymond Has Also Impressed as Bears’ Punt Returner
Thomas has not yet tried his hand at fielding punts for the Bears, but frankly, there is no reason for them to force it with how veteran Kalif Raymond is playing.
Raymond — who has made a sizable impact as a pass-catcher — has also thrived as the Bears’ primary punt returner. He has netted 93 return yards on nine punts through the first five games, ranking him seventh in the league in total yards.
Raymond is also one of just three punt returners in the league with multiple 20-plus-yard returns through the first five weeks of the 2026 regular season.
The Bears knew what they were getting with Raymond’s return ability. He has more than 2,000 career punt return yards and more than 1,300 career kick return yards, which earned him multiple second-team All-Pro honors with Detroit.
More surprisingly, though, the 32-year-old Raymond has kept pace with Bears starting wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III through five games. He has a team-high 24 receptions for 226 yards and has the best catch percentage (88.9%) out of the receiving trio, underscoring his veteran value.
The Bears will play their next game against the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 18.
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