Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has quickly established a rhythm with veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond, carving up the Bengals' secondary as their chemistry develops into a lethal part of the offense.
CINCINNATI -- Of Caleb Williams' projected top targets heading into the 2026 NFL season, Kalif Raymond has the least familiarity with the Chicago Bears' quarterback.
Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet and Jahdae Walker have all played at least one season with Williams in head coach Ben Johnson's offense.
The Bears signed Raymond to a one-year, $5.1 million contract just days after the team traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills in early March. Although Raymond has only been with Williams for a little over five months, the veteran receiver had established an impressive rapport with his quarterback.
Williams has consistently completed passes to Raymond throughout training camp, with many of them going for explosive and impactful plays. That carried over in Thursday's joint practice against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Raymond found space near the left sideline on a corner route, and Williams floated a pass over a defender to complete the play. The veteran receiver caught several passes over the middle of the on those deep inbreaking routes that are a staple in Johnson's system.
But the best play of the day between the two happened during the low red-zone period. Williams and the offense broke the huddle with an initial play, but as the Bears' quarterback started to see the defense, he appeared to make some kind of adjustment. We'll never know exactly what that was, but there was a solid amount of communication before the play.
Williams sold the fake handoff to the running back, manipulating the linebackers and leaving Raymond wide open in the back middle portion of the end zone for a touchdown.
Based off the results alone, you would expect Williams and Raymond to have known each other for years, which only speaks to the strong connection they have established on the field.
"Kalif being with the Lions for a good little bit, you were able to see how explosive he was and things like that," Williams said. "Being a smaller guy, you wonder how or what, and then he gets to the team and you realize how he because such an explosive player by being in the right position at the right time, being QB friendly and just being a special player. We’re on the same page at this point, and if we aren’t on some small things, we come to the side and talk about them, whether we’re frustrated, whether it’s good or bad.”
With Raymond's three years of experience with Johnson as the play caller in Detroit, the veteran receiver isn't learning an entirely new playbook. There's terminology that's different, but he's not learning a new language, and that allows him to play fast and be at the right spot in the play.
Williams is entering his second season in Johnson's offense and he can communicate with Raymond with how the two view certain defenses. That's one of the many benefits Raymond brings to Chicago.
He's consistently made big plays, another reason the veteran receiver has made a seamless transition connecting with Williams and the Bears' offense.
