Jared Goff: Kalif Raymond Gets 'Forgotten' Sometimes

Lions quarterback discusses departure of Josh Reynolds.

Jan 7, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions punt returner Kalif Raymond (11) tries to break a tackle against the Minnesota Vikings. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions lost a key member of their offense when veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds departed.

Jared Goff and Reynolds had an undeniable chemistry stemming back to their days playing for the Los Angeles Rams.

Now that the 29-year-old wideout is in Denver, Goff still has plenty of reliable offensive weapons to target.

Pundits have listed wide receiver as the Lions unit that still has question marks heading into the 2024 season, despite returning several starting-caliber talents. Jameson Williams is healthy and ready to contribute, and young players are awaiting their opportunities to earn more targets.

Appearing on 97.1 The Ticket last week, Goff discussed how the offense plans to move forward without a solid contributor from last season.

A player that often gets overlooked is Kalif Raymond, who has quietly been productive and aided Detroit's explosive passing attack a season ago. While Raymond has done much of his work in the return game, he has contributed plenty to Detroit's passing attack, too, over his three seasons with the organization.

Raymond was valued enough by the organization to earn a two-year extension prior to last season, keeping him in Detroit through 2025. In three years with Detroit, Raymond has recorded 130 catches for 1,681 yards and five scores.

Additionally, he has returned 70 punts for 831 yards and one touchdown. He finished 2023 with a 75.8 receiving grade, via Pro Football Focus, and can line up anywhere on the offense. He played 121 snaps in the slot and an equal amount out wide, giving Detroit's offense versatility.

“I think the guy that might get forgotten sometimes is Kalif Raymond, and all he’s done for us as a team since I’ve got here. He’s always been steady and reliable, and he’ll have a role in there as well," Goff said. "And then, I think Donovan (Peoples-Jones) and A.G. (Antoine Green) will fill out that role in some ways and do their thing. We’ll see how that pans out here over the next few months or so. We’ll miss Josh (Reynolds). Josh is a great player and wish him the best in Denver. But, we feel confident in the guys that we’ll need to step into that void.” 

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