The Chicago Bears landed another member of the Detroit Lions organization Tuesday. NFL Network reported former Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond is signing a 1-year contract with the Bears.
Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown will have to face his former teammate twice next season. St. Brown, though, didn’t express anything but excitement for his fellow receiver in his reaction to Raymond signing with Chicago.
“Greatest teammate I’ve ever had,” St. Brown wrote on X. “Locker mate since rookie year.
“Love you brother.”
St. Brown and Raymond both joined the Lions in 2021. Detroit selected St. Brown in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The team added Raymond in NFL free agency a month prior.
As St. Brown indicated, they shared lockers next to each other for five years. During that time, the Lions earned back-to-back division titles for the first time since the 1950s.
St. Brown led the Lions in receiving while Raymond was a key secondary pass-catcher and dangerous special teams returner.
Ex-Lions WR Kalif Raymond Signs With Bears: Report
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that Raymond will join the Bears on a 1-year, $5.1 million deal.
With Chicago, Raymond will rejoin his former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, who calls plays for the Bears as head coach.
Raymond had a very successful five-year tenure with the Lions, four of which he played in Johnson’s offense. Raymond peaked offensively in 2022 with 47 catches for 616 yards. During that season, he also made second-team All-Pro as a returner.
In 2022, Raymond averaged 13.2 yards per punt and 32.5 yards per kickoff.
Raymond also made second-team All-Pro during the 2024 campaign. He led the league with 413 punt return yards while averaging 13.8 yards per punt.
In three of the past four years, Raymond returned a punt for a touchdown. During his next-strongest offensive season, he had 48 receptions for 576 yards with four touchdowns during 2021.
Raymond will turn 32 before the 2026 regular season starts. But on a 1-year deal, he will be the depth offensive playmaker and dangerous punt returner he was in Detroit.
How Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions Replace Raymond
The Lions have added a lot of pass-catching talent since Raymond first signed.
First and foremost, St. Brown has developed into one of the best receivers in the league. The Lions also drafted receiver Jameson Williams during 2022 and then added running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta in the 2023 class.
Those stars slowly started taking away offensive opportunities from Raymond the past three years.
Then last season, the Lions added receiver Isaac TeSlaa. He showed tremendous flash as a rookie, catching six touchdowns on just 16 receptions.
With all of those playmakers returning in 2026, the Lions have the firepower to replace Raymond on offense. The question is how they will also replace him on special teams.
Last season, receiver Tom Kennedy returned three punts when Raymond wasn’t available. On the kickoff team, running back Jacob Saylors led the Lions with 33 returns. Kennedy was second with 16 returns while Raymond had six.
Kennedy, though, is a restricted free agent. He’s not guaranteed to return to Detroit. Perhaps Saylors could get a shot at the punt return job, but he doesn’t have any experience at the NFL level.
Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers suggested depth receiver Dominic Lovett could return punts.
The Lions could also target a punt returner in free agency. Edge rusher is a more pressing need, but it’s hard to overstate Raymond’s special teams impact the past several years.
Detroit’s current roster doesn’t appear to already have an All-Pro or Pro Bowl caliber returner to replace Raymond.
Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown Fires Strong Reaction to Kalif Raymond Joining Bears