In the eyes of coach Ben Johnson, Kalif Raymond has been "everything" the Bears hoped he would be when he signed with Chicago in free agency.
The veteran returner specialist and receiver played the last five seasons of his NFL career in Detroit, four of which were spent alongside Johnson and receivers/assistant head coach Antwaan Randle-El. While the pair of coaches already knew what Raymond brought to the table both on the field and as a leader, seeing his impact take effect on the Bears' young offense has been rewarding.
"The work ethic, the story behind the man," Johnson said, "just to hear how he had to fight, scratch and claw to where he is today, been cut multiple times and yet still one of the elite punt returners in this game. And he's going to make a difference on our offense as well. He's got elite speed. He can do things after the catch.
"I just think he's a great role model for all those guys. It really doesn't matter what position you're playing, certainly in that room, he's made an impact, but I think throughout the offense, special-teams unit, and the defense sees it as well."
After entering the NFL with the Broncos in 2016 as an undrafted free agent from Holy Cross, Raymond bounced around between the Giants, Jets and Titans from 2017-20. It wasn't until 2021 when he joined the Lions that he saw significant playing time and earned a steady roster spot. Even so, Raymond had veterans early in his career that helped him become the player and teammate he is now, including Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Jordan Norwood and Benny Fowler.
"[I had] a lot of guys helping me, and then through those trials and tribulations, I learned that this game is very, very, very hard," Raymond said. "So, why not give back to see somebody else kind of skip the stuff that you had to go through the valleys for?"
While Raymond is one of the Bears' oldest players and the most experienced pass-catchers on the offense, his quickness and energy reflect someone of a rookie with fresh legs.
Throughout training camp practices, Raymond's elite speed has been evident in 1-on-1 drills and team periods, including last Thursday when he and quarterback Caleb Williams connected for a 54-yard touchdown down the middle.
"I got a couple, couple, couple secrets," Raymond joked about keeping his speed in top gear. "The stretching every night helps, and then — if I give out too much, because some of this stuff sounds real old – but one thing I did that did help me is I touch top speed at least once a week, just because you rev your engine up. If you are going 60% bending the corner on a punt return, but you [know you can] touch your top speed, your range goes from here to here. So it helps reverse the [effects] of time, because now I have access to all of [my speed] versus I'm only hitting here during the week."
Raymond's skillset brings a new level of versatility to the offense and special teams, and Johnson is confident the veteran will contribute to both groups this season. What makes Raymond even more of an asset for the Bears is his consistency and ability to lead by example, whether it's his daily routine of catching 205 balls on the JUGS machine outside of practice or the positivity he brings to the field, no matter the day's circumstances.
"Watching film on him every day, he just looks the same," receiver Luther Burden III said. "You don't know what he's doing. You don't know if he's snapping up, breaking in because he's just running at you so fast and he's so little. It's fun to watch Kalif go out there and make plays. I'm happy he's a part of the team.
"He's really like a coach out there. He's a great guy on and off the field. You can learn from him. His release package is sick. He's a great guy. He's out the roof. Kalif is a great leader for the team; he's the guy, man."
One of the players who is benefiting the most from Raymond's mentorship is rookie receiver Zavion Thomas, who has also spent time with the veteran on the punt return team.
Thomas told reporters this week that after being drafted in April, one of the things Johnson told him was to follow everything that Raymond does. Since reporting for camp, Thomas has stuck by Raymond's side.
Raymond lauded Thomas for being both "incredibly talented" and "a sponge." He called out a moment a couple of days ago when Thomas told Raymond about his nightly routine of ankle mobility exercises and stretches, then sent him a video of that routine later that evening.
"I'm looking at the video like one, I need to get on this, no wonder he's so fast, but two, this is the kind of mentality that creates that consistency, that discipline, that longevity, that will be great later on," Raymond said.
"It takes a vet-type mindset to be disciplined and do something like that. And when he showed me that video, I was just happy to know that's who he is."
Even with Raymond's vast NFL experience, he is still a rookie to the Bears locker room and is enjoying the early stages of camp as the offense builds a new foundation for the 2026 season.
"The cool part is Ben isn't harping on last year," Raymond said. "He's like, 'hey man, there is a standard that good teams have. Not the standard from last year. Nothing.'
"He said, 'There is a standard that when you watch a team that's good, this is what they do. This is how they operate. This is how they practice. This is the level of intensity they offer.' That standard is what he preaches."
In a matter of five seasons, Raymond watched Johnson go from tight ends coach/passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to head coach, noting that Johnson us "always evolving" in the way he calls plays and schemes up an offense.
As a player in Johnson's offense, seeing that evolution has certainly been exciting. But from a personal standpoint, watching Johnson evolve as a leader, now at the helm of such a historic organization, is the most rewarding thing for Raymond.
"I think the coolest part about Ben is just watching him become a leader of men, because it's not just one side of the ball," Raymond said. "When you get to the game, it's three phases of football. So watching him adapt, watching him and DA's (defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's) connection, watching him and HT's (special teams coordinator Richard Hightower's) connection, where he's watching things that he's looking at, how this special teams drill translates over to the game, how it translates over to practice.
"Wtching him being a leader of men is really cool because when he walks in the room and he demands respect, and you know that he has your best intentions at heart."
