Kalif Raymond is a veteran wide receiver and return specialist who signed with the Chicago Bears in 2026 after five seasons in Detroit.
Raymond is one of the league's most accomplished punt returners, having earned second-team All-Pro honors twice during his time with the Lions. An undrafted player out of Holy Cross, he has made his mark on special teams while contributing as a slot receiver. He joined the Bears in 2026 to play in Ben Johnson's offense.
Path to the league
Raymond played college football and ran track at Holy Cross, earning two-time All-Patriot League first-team honors and totaling more than 4,000 all-purpose yards. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He bounced around several rosters before finding a home in Detroit.
Career highlights
Raymond joined the Lions in 2021 and became a fixture on special teams, earning second-team All-Pro punt-return honors in 2022 and 2024. He led the NFL in punt-return yards in 2024 despite missing five games. He set Detroit's franchise record for career punt-return yards.
2025 season
Raymond returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown against Cleveland in Week 4 and finished the season with 24 catches for 289 yards and a touchdown across 15 games, per reporting. In March 2026 he signed a one-year, $5.1 million deal with the Bears, saying he wanted to play in Ben Johnson's offense.
Sources
- Chicago Sun-Times: Bears to sign former Lions WR, returner Kalif Raymond
- ESPN: Kalif Raymond player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
15 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 15 | 24 | 289 | 12.0 | 1 | 30 |
| 2024 | lions | 12 | 17 | 215 | 12.6 | 2 | 38 |
| 2023 | lions | 17 | 35 | 489 | 14.0 | 1 | 41 |
| 2022 | lions | 17 | 47 | 616 | 13.1 | 0 | 56 |
| 2021 | lions | 16 | 48 | 576 | 12.0 | 4 | 75 |
| 2020 | titans | 15 | 9 | 187 | 20.8 | 0 | 61 |
| 2019 | titans | 8 | 9 | 170 | 18.9 | 1 | 52 |
| 2017 | giants | 6 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2016 | broncos | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | lions | 15 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 10 |
| 2024 | lions | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023 | lions | 17 | 7 | 75 | 10.7 | 0 | 40 |
| 2022 | lions | 17 | 7 | 36 | 5.1 | 0 | 12 |
| 2021 | lions | 16 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 0 | 13 |
| 2020 | titans | 15 | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 | -3 |
| 2019 | titans | 8 | 1 | -5 | -5.0 | 0 | -5 |
| 2017 | giants | 6 | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | 0 | -1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Holy Cross
- Hometown
- Lawrenceville, GA, USA
- Age
- 31
- Status
- active
