If this is the end, record-breaking return man Raymond has enjoyed every moment of 'borrowed time' he's had in Detroit

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Allen Park — When the Detroit Lions initiated a necessary rebuild under rookie general manager Brad Holmes in 2021, it included resetting the team’s salary cap situation.

A league-wide, nearly 8% reduction to the cap due to lost revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the hit taken to fulfill quarterback Matthew Stafford’s trade request, left Holmes with reduced spending power during his first offseason.

Given that the Lions intended to build through the draft under Holmes, it wasn’t the end of the world, but they still needed to field a roster. That left the GM to temporarily plug holes with misfits and castoffs, players perceived to be damaged or poor fits, leaving all with something to prove.

One of those holes the team needed to fill was a return man. Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp recalled when the pro personnel department offered up one of those misfits, a speedy 5-foot-8, 180-pound journeyman receiver out of Holy Cross who had fewer than 20 career receptions, but had flashed some potential returning kicks.

“The pro scouts came down to my office and said, ‘Hey, what do you think about this guy?’” Fipp said. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’d take him in a heartbeat.’”

Five years later, Kalif Raymond now holds the franchise record for punt return yardage, surpassing a 31-year-old mark established by Mel Gray in 1994, the year Raymond was born.

“If you had asked me this in 2017, I’d have been like, ‘What!’” Raymond said.

Raymond, along with linebacker Alex Anzalone, are the only two signings from the 2021 offseason who remain in Detroit. Coincidentally, both on expiring deals, so it might also be the last game for each in a Lions uniform. Actually, Anzalone, who has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Chicago due to a concussion, might have already spent his final day in Honolulu blue.

Both veterans have played instrumental roles in the rebuild. However, Raymond has arguably been the soul of what the Lions have accomplished over the past five seasons.

Raymond is the guy no one thought much about when he was signed, but everyone noticed when he was the last one on the field after every practice. We witnessed how his hard work paid off, netting All-Pro honors twice to go with a pair of contract extensions that gave him previously unknown professional security. He’s set the standard for every young player he’s shared the locker room with these past five years.

Raymond doesn’t know what his future holds. He’ll likely have a better idea on Monday, when he goes through the standard exit interview process with the franchise’s brass.

Uncertainty isn’t a new or scary feeling. That was Raymond’s daily reality as a young player, and he’s never allowed himself to be comfortable in Detroit. He jokes that two years ago, he just wanted to be back for a chance to play one game in the team’s new black jerseys. Then, this offseason, he told his wife he just wanted to see the remodeled locker room.

It seems ridiculous, but even after earning All-Pro honors last year, Raymond wasn’t sure he’d be asked back in 2025 until the sides worked out a restructured contract in March, trimming his salary but providing more guarantees in exchange.

“I mean, every year, I’ve been on borrowed time in this journey,” Raymond said. “I’m thankful and blessed for my time here because of the coaches and everyone I’ve been around. Because of that, whatever happens, happens. These guys brought me a long way, so I’m going to have trust and faith in that. But to have been here, watching everybody grow, watching how the team, the people, the early draft picks grew. To be a part of this, to be a part of an organization with this kind of people, has been a blessing for my career.

“I’m too busy to think about anything other than I’m just thankful that I got a chance to be here,” Raymond said. “Because I was on borrowed time. But to be on borrowed time in a place like this for five years? Yeah, I’ll take that.”

Raymond’s favorite memory from his time in Detroit? It’s not the milestones, wins or the touchdowns he's scored. It’s about the people.

He scans the locker room and nods toward Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams and notes that it’s been a joy watching them grow as men. Raymond points to linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and quarterback Jared Goff and highlights that both recently became fathers.

“A lot of guys are getting married, got engaged," Raymond said. "Jared’s got a baby now. Over the last five years, I got to watch a lot of young men become men and fathers, husbands. Watching that, it's been crazy.”

Whether or not Raymond is done in Detroit, he’s not done. He’ll turn 32 next August, and he has a good idea how many years he has left to give the game. But there’s still juice in the tank.

“I think I have plenty," Raymond said. "I can probably go run a 4.3 right now. …I can still run pretty dang fast. I can still cut pretty well. I’m prepared to mold to whatever a team needs me to be.”