CHICAGO, Ill., — In the first year under Ben Johnson, the Chicago Bears' offense had a big turnaround, and now there are higher expectations going into year two. While Chicago lost wide receiver DJ Moore, they did add a receiver who can contribute on offense as well as special teams.
With the addition of Kalif Raymond, Chicago's offense added a player who will compete for WR3 on the depth chart. More importantly, he's familiar with Ben Johnson as he played in Detroit with him for three seasons. Now, a few weeks after Raymond signed, he cemented the reason why he picked Chicago over returning to Detroit.
"I wanted to play in Ben's offense," Raymond said, via Dan Pompei of TheAthletic.com. "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."
The 31-year-old Raymond drew interest from the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers as well. But it came down to the Bears and Lions, who both had good offers out to the talented receiver. The familiarity with Johnson and seeing what he did in his first year in Chicago ended up winning out.
He had some help, as well.
Former Detroit Lions teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown told him to "trust his guy" as Pompei noted in the piece. St. Brown also talked to Johnson and couldn't believe the head coach was taking him away.
In his time in Detroit under Johnson, Raymond put up good numbers, including a 2022 campaign in which he had 47 receptions for 616 yards. Having that experience in Johnson's offense will help the Bears' wide receiver core, adding another veteran presence. It might feel like an under-the-radar signing at the moment but it could turn into a very underrated one as the year goes on.
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