Kalif Raymond's reason for choosing the Bears has been made crystal clear

In anticipation of losing him, as they eventually did, the Chicago Bears proactively secured their plan to replace return man Devin Duvernay when they signed Kalif Raymond to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million with $3 million guaranteed.

Raymond became one of the better punt returners in the league over his five seasons with the Detroit Lions, with two Second Team All-Pro selections and four seasons where he averaged more than 11 yards per return.

Of course that also means Raymond has history with a couple Bears' coaches. He overlapped with head coach Ben Johnson and wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El in Detroit for four seasons (2021-2024). That history surely drove the reunion, if returning to the Lions wasn't an option for Raymond.

Kalif Raymond's reason for choosing the Bears has been further confirmed

As part of an excellent profile on Raymond, Dan Pompei of The Athletic chronicled how his signing with the Bears came together.

Raymond had multiple suitors in free agency, including the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. But it ultimately came down to the Lions or the Bears. With similar contract offers on the table, the scales tipped toward the Bears for an obvious reason.

“The lure to Chicago was opportunity,” Pompei wrote. “The post-Johnson Lions veered to bigger wide receivers and had reduced Raymond’s offensive role. Johnson, however, remembers the wide receiver who was targeted 71 times in 2021 and 64 times in 2022.”

There's no denying how Raymond's role in the Lions' offense was greatly reduced over the last three seasons (96 total targets) compared to his first two seasons in Detroit (135 targets).

The Bears have 150 vacated targets from last season with the offseason departures of DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, and incumbent pieces can only take on some many of them. So Raymond has an opportunity for a solid role in Johnson's offense, perhaps as the No. 3 wide receiver, and the Bears' head coach said as much to Pompei.

"Is he going to be a 1,000-yard receiver?” Johnson said. “No. But I think he’s capable of a bigger role in our offense than what he had a year ago.”

And, of course, Raymond is looking forward to being back in Johnson's offense.

"I wanted to play in Ben’s offense,” Raymond told Pompei. “He’s extraordinarily creative, and honestly, you can be in any spot on the offense, and he will find a way to get you the ball. Just to be under him is a great privilege.”

If Raymond was going to leave the Lions, the Bears were naturally the team he'd do it for if there was an opportunity. If his history is any indication, he will emphatically answer the fresh opportunity to be a difference maker in an offense that's at his door.