Story by
Lions' Kalif Raymond agrees to Bears contract, reunites with Ben Johnson
- Story by
- Lions' Kalif Raymond agrees to Bears contract, reunites with Ben Johnson
The Detroit Lions need a new punt returner.
Kalif Raymond agreed to a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday, March 10, NFL Network reported , reuniting him with former Lions offensive coordinator and current Bears coach Ben Johnson.
Advertisement
Raymond spent the past five seasons with the Lions and was one of the team's first free-agent signings under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes in 2021.
Detroit Lions punt returner Kalif Raymond (11) celebrates a touchdown against Cleveland Browns during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025.
He was a second-team All-Pro selection as a punt returner in 2022 and 2024 and broke Mel Gray's franchise record for career punt-return yardage last season.
"Five years together and he's been incredible," Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said late last season. "I mean thank goodness we got him. I remember five years ago when I first got here and we didn't have a returner and it was like, 'Man, who's it going to be.' And the pro scouts came down to my office and said, 'Hey, what do you think about this guy?' I'm like, 'Man, I'd take him in a heartbeat.' So, it was great. I mean they did a great job of finding him. He's obviously done an incredible job and a huge part of it's the returner by himself."
Advertisement
More: Don't blame Detroit Lions for not spending big on Tyler Linderbaum
Raymond finished his Lions career with 1,485 punt-return yards, good for an 11.3-yard average, and 171 catches for 2,185 yards. He has three punts returned for touchdowns since 2021, including a 65-yarder against the Cleveland Browns last season , when he led the league with 32 returns.
The Lions return their top three receivers in Amon-Ra St. Brown , Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa , and have three other young receivers on their roster in Dominic Lovett , Jackson Meeks and Malik Cunningham .
TeSlaa appeared ticketed for a bigger role in 2026 even before Raymond's departure after catching 16 passes for 239 yards with six touchdowns last year.
Advertisement
"You look at where he was from Game 1 to the very last game, he improved, and there would be nothing to tell me that he's not going to take another step this year," Lions coach Dan Campbell said at the NFl combine last month. "I think we're going into camp a little bit with some confidence in this guy. And that's important as a rookie. It's important."
Raymond is the fifth Lion to leave the team in free agency this week. Linebacker Alex Anzalone , defensive tackle Roy Lopez , cornerback Amik Robertson and quarterback Kyle Allen agreed to deals with new teams Monday.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions WR Kalif Raymond headed to Bears, reunites with Ben Johnson
