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Veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond is going to remain with the Detroit Lions a little while longer.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on August 11 that the Lions signed Raymond to a two-year contract extension. Rapoport did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, but he tweeted that Raymond will now be one of the highest paid punt returners in the NFL.
Raymond has played the last two seasons with the Lions. In those two seasons, he returned 41 punts and averaged 12.2 yards per return. During 2022, he had 1 punt return for a touchdown.
As a receiver, he’s posted 95 receptions, 1,192 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in two seasons with the Lions. He also returned two kickoffs for 65 yards last year.
Lions Make WR Kalif Raymond One of the Highest Paid NFL Returners
It was hard imagining Raymond becoming one of the wealthiest players at his position when he began his NFL career. He started his career as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2016.
He appeared in four games for the Broncos in 2016, but he had only 2 targets on offense and didn’t record a reception. Raymond returned 11 punts and 6 kickoffs as well but struggled in that role. He averaged 10.1 return yards per punt and 22.8 return yards per kickoff while fumbling twice.
In 2017, Raymond played for the New York Giants and New York Jets. Again, he made practically no impact on offense, as he recorded just 1 reception for 12 yards. He also averaged 5.5 return yards per punt that season.
After spending 2018 bouncing around between different teams’ practice squads, Raymond joined the Tennessee Titans active roster in 2019. Then in 2020, he dressed for a career high 15 games.
During 2020, Raymond found his niche as Tennessee’s primary punt returner. He had 208 return yards on 23 punts. He also returned 15 kickoffs for 275 yards.
With the Lions in 2021, he finally received a chance to play wide receiver. Raymond’s 48 receptions during his first year with the Lions was more than what he had in his first five NFL seasons combined. In fact, from 2016-20, Raymond had just 30 targets. He also continued to return punts.
Last season, Raymond had 47 catches for 616 yards. He also averaged a career-high 13.2 yards per punt return, which helped him make second-team All-Pro.
Expectations for Raymond as a WR in 2023
There’s little doubt that the Lions will pay Raymond to be one of the best punt returners in the league. But after news of his contract extension broke, Detroit fans on Twitter were quick to note that Raymond is more than just a punt returner.
Those fans on Twitter seemed to be trying to give Raymond more credit than Rapoport appeared to while he labeled the veteran receiver a punt returner. But what will be interesting to see is if Raymond’s new deal raises his expectations as a wideout this year.
Wide receiver has been one of the most dissected position groups for the Lions this summer. NFL pundits have criticized the team for its lack of depth at receiver. Furthermore, rumors have connected the team to several possible free agent targets and other potential trades.
The Lions did trade for disgruntled former second-round pick Denzel Mims. But other than that reclamation project, the Lions have apparently chosen to extend Raymond and develop young receivers such as Jameson Williams instead of adding another veteran wideout to the roster.
With Williams set to miss the first six regular season games because of a suspension, Raymond may be set to play a bigger role on offense following his big pay day.
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