As Ben Johnson continues to try to bring the culture he was part of with the Detroit Lions to the Chicago Bears, players he has history with are, of course, an important part of that. On that front, the signing of wide receiver Kalif Raymond definitely came with mutual interest in a reunion after four seasons together in Detroit (2021-2024).
While Raymond isn't in line to be a high-volume piece of the Bears' offense, he definitely has more to offer than the Lions got (or needed) out of him in his last couple of seasons there. His less-than-linear journey to having an NFL career that has now spanned a decade stands as an example for his new teammates.
Speaking to reporters on the first day of Bears' minicamp, Johnson was asked what similarities or differences there are between Raymond and Olamide Zaccheaus, who Raymond is replacing on the wide receiver depth chart.
The comparison feels less than apt right off the bat, no offense to Zaccheaus, and Johnson more or less confirmed that.
"I don't wanna compare those two players, but I do have a history with Kalif", Johnson said. "You wouldn’t know looking at him right now that he’s 31 going on 32. He has got this vertical push to his game where he comes raging off the football and, if you’re a DB, you can’t help but back up. That carries over with all of the routes that he runs. I think it’s been really good for our young route runners to see because that’s really what we want to see across the board.”
Ben Johnson confirms Kalif Raymond has been everything he is advertised to be
This will be their fifth season, and of course, their fifth offseason, together. So Johnson knows very well what Raymond brings to the table. Yet, the Bears' head coach seemed particularly impressed with what he had seen so far.
“He is exactly what we hoped for when he came into the building,” Johnson said. “It’s as good as I’ve seen him in the spring based on my time with him over the last five years. He’s got fresh legs, he’s hungry, he’s highly motivated right now. There’s a lot that he can do in the offensive game. He’s not a gadget guy. He’s unique in his ability to have enough speed to take it over the top – make defenses hurt that way – but also inside the numbers and outside the numbers, he’s got elite quickness. You get the ball in his hands and he’s excellent run after the catch. He’s very, very versatile and I think he’s going to be a huge part of what we do.”
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Beyond any numbers he puts up as a pass catcher or punt returner this season, Raymond was brought to the Bears to be a leader and an example for young players to follow. There was never any doubt he would be exactly that from the moment he arrived, but Johnson's praise still lands notably.
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