Kalif Raymond is facing a crossroads in his Detroit Lions career. With increased competition and age, the Lions’ primary PR must continue to prove his worth.
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Kalif Raymond
Expectations heading into 2024
Raymond has earned a reputation as one of the Lions’ hardest workers and most reliable players. Though his role has steadily diminished on offense, he has been high-quality depth and a legitimate weapon on special teams as the primary punt returner.
With hype surrounding Jameson Williams, it was clear it was going to be hard for Raymond to find a significant offensive role. However, for all offseason, the Lions were having a hard time finding a third receiver to pair with Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. As training camp came to a close, there was a shot Raymond would have to start on the outside for Detroit.
Actual role in 2024
12 games (2 starts) — 211 offensive snaps
Stats: 17 catches, 215 yards, 2 TDs; 30 punt returns, 413 yards, 1 TD; 1 kick return, 26 yards
PFF offensive grade: 71.1 (54th out of 131 qualifying WRs—minimum 20 targets)
PFF receiving grade: 70.8 (58th out of 131)
PFF drop grade: 83.6 (t-16th out of 131)
PFF run blocking grade: 59.8 (t-48th out of 194 WRs—minimum 20 run blocking snaps)
Punt return PFF grade: 87.8 (1st of 34—minimum 10 punt returns)
With the late addition and emergence of Tim Patrick, Raymond ended up assuming Detroit’s WR4 spot for most of the season.
While Raymond’s offensive production was the lowest it has been in his four years with Detroit, he still averaged over 17 snaps per game—showcasing how much the Lions value both him and the fourth wide receiver position. But with the emergence of Williams, there simply wasn’t enough ball to go around. As a result, Raymond didn’t get the ball thrown his way too much. His 22 targets were half of his second-lowest total with the Lions (44 targets in 2023).
Still, Raymond found a way to make a significant impact in 2024. As the team’s primary punt returner for the fourth straight year, Raymond produced career numbers. His 413 punt return yards and 13.8 yards per return average were both career highs—and ranked first and third respectively in the NFL last season. He just missed out being named as the NFC Pro Bowl returner (it went to deserving Cowboys kick returner KaVontae Turpin), but was named second-team All Pro for the second time in his career.
His best game was against the Tennessee Titans . Not only did he find the end zone on offense, but he returned five punts for a total of 190 yards, a touchdown, and nearly a second. Raymond is the first ever Detroit Lions player to score a receiving and punt return touchdown in a single game. That week, he also earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors .
Raymond did miss some time late in the year due to injury, but was able to return late in the season.
Outlook for 2025
Raymond is entering the final year of a two-year extension he signed with the team in 2023. And with him set to enter his age-31 season, it’s fair to wonder if his time as a Detroit Lion is nearing its end.
Further complicating Raymond’s future is the fact that the Lions not only return their top three receivers this year, but added two more in the 2025 NFL Draft . That shouldn’t jeopardize Raymond’s spot on the roster in 2025, but general manager Brad Holmes publicly said they are hoping to get younger at the position , and that means the likes of Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett could be faces of the future.
Raymond figures to have a pretty similar role to what he had last season—both as an occasional subpackage player on offense and the team’s primary punt returner. However, he may also serve one more important role: mentor. It’s probably not fair to call his skillset a complete one-to-one comparison with Lovett, but there is enough overlap there for Raymond to be a valuable resource for the seventh-round rookie. The question is whether Lovett—or any other depth receiver—has the punt return potential that Raymond still possess. Lovett didn’t do it much in college, but Holmes hinted at some potential there .
But if the Lions can’t find a player with the returner potential Raymond has, it’s entirely possible the Lions veteran finds himself on a new short-term deal in Detroit. With one of the best football characters on the team, he will undoubtedly meet the new challenges he’s facing with determination and work ethic, and the Lions don’t often let those kind of players walk out the door.