Kalif Raymond will be entering his 11th NFL season, and the veteran brings a skill set that should translate well for the Bears' special teams unit.
It’s been quite the journey for Kalif Raymond.
The receiver and return specialist entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2016. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound veteran from Holy Cross is now entering his 11th season in the league and first with the Chicago Bears.
After five seasons with the Detroit Lions, he rejoins coach Ben Johnson and wide receivers and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El after signing a one-year deal. That familiarity should help speed up the acclimation process for the 31-year-old receiver as he transitions to his new team.
What will come naturally to Raymond is his ability to impact the Bears’ special teams unit. Over the last 10 seasons, Raymond has contributed to the third phase for each of the five teams he’s been a part of, totaling 188 career punt returns for 1,948 yards and three touchdowns and adding another 62 kick returns for 1,338 yards.
In the last five seasons with the Lions, Raymond primarily handled punt returns (132) compared to his nine kick return attempts.
Raymond finished with a career high of 32 punt returns last season for the Lions, and took one back for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. According to Pro Football Focus, Raymond has had just one muffed punt in his career, occurring in Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season against the New Orleans Saints.
On Thursday at Halas Hall, Raymond was asked to describe his style as a returner.
"You could say aggressive,” Raymond said. “I always say I'm aggressive because I trust the guys in front of me and I trust the work we put in. We do a lot of work during the week, between catching the punts, doing the reps. I trust you, the decision is made. When you give me that look in my eye, I'm not even going to look down, I'm taking this because I trust you guys. You develop that rapport after a while. A lot of it also has to do with, over the last five years, I've had a chance to kind of learn the game, learn the statistics.”
Some of the statistics Raymond highlighted included how much of a difference two to three yards on a return can make in the offensive playbook and what a play caller like Johnson can dial up. Raymond mentioned there are points within the hidden yardage in a game, and the return team can make a positive impact if the unit stays aggressive.
General manager Ryan Poles added a player to the roster that special teams coordinator Richard Hightower can trust each time he gets an opportunity to return a punt. If the team also wants him to take over kick returns, he will up for the task.
"I'm expected to do whatever they ask me to," Raymond said. "That's kind of my role for the last few years. The good thing about the last couple of years, I've been able to kind of round out my game, do a lot of work behind the scenes, to prepare for a really good opportunity. I've always molded myself to wherever the team needs me. That's kind of how I've been here for so long. But, I'm prepared to do that, and I've been able to do that last few years. Whatever they need me to do, I'll be ready to do."