LAKE FOREST, Ill., — One of the more intriguing additions earlier in the offseason was the signing of veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond to a one-year, $3.5M deal with $2K in guaranteed money. After some big changes to the wide receiver position, the Chicago Bears front office and coaching staff wanted a veteran presence who could help a young offense take another step forward while providing some much-needed veteran expertise for second and third-year wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze.
As he enters his 10th season, Raymond spent the last five years with the Detroit Lions, where he overlapped with head coach Ben Johnson. As the two reunite in Chicago, both sides can benefit each other as the offense looks to become one of the more consistent units across the league in 2026.
"I do have a history with Kalif," said Johnson. "He's been exactly what we hoped for when we came to the building. It's as good as I've seen him in the spring, based on my time with him over the last five years. I mean, this, 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."
The attention in the wide receiver room will center around the development of Burden and Odunze, but Raymond's ability to be a true deep threat will open up opportunities for the rest of the offense. Throughout his career, he's never been the type of player who will make flash plays, but watching the film, his instincts, explosiveness, and route running consistently show up on film, making him a dangerous asset every time he's on the field.
"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," said Johnson. "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, outside the numbers, he's got elite quickness, you get the ball in his hands, he's excellent running after catch. So he's very, very versatile and I think he's gonna be a huge part of what we do."
As an experienced veteran, Raymond can help develop some of the younger players on the roster, allowing Johnson as a playcaller to continue opening up the offense.
"We have some guys here that can play some football," said Raymond. "So, I'm just trying to feed off their juice, their work ethic. Watching the way Rome (Odunze) works at the practice, watching the way Luther (Burden III) runs his routes in practice. I'm just trying to feed off those guys, learn how those guys play and be wherever they need me to be when it's time for me to do that."
In a 17-game season, the Bears will establish an offensive identity that takes on many different forms, but the advantage of having a seasoned veteran like Raymond will give the offense a real chance at building off last year, keeping opposing defenses on their toes, and continuing to develop players that are a part of the team's long-term plans.
"I've been telling everybody this right now is a time for foundation," said Raymond. "We're building foundation so that way when you hit camp, you want to hit the ground running. This is just part of a long process to be ready to come week one."
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