One of the biggest surprises for the Chicago Bears offense early in the 2026 season was an early breakout from third receiver Kalif Raymond. The pass catcher was consistently featured in Chicago's offense, whether it was Case Keenum or Caleb Williams in the starting lineup. However, after Tyson Bagent took over as the starting option, the production has fallen off a cliff as Raymond has 12 receiving yards over the last two weeks.
While a bit of regression was fair to expect, Raymond clearly is going to rebound the moment that Williams returns back to the lineup. The regression from the pass catcher serves as a reminder of how much the Bears are reliant on Williams, and why the one great offensive performance from Case Keenum was an outlier and not any indication of what the franchise is capable of without its starter.
Turn back the clock to the first three weeks of the season and Raymond managed 214 receiving yards and was a trusted target within Ben Johnson's system. A tiny bit of regression was fair to expect when you look at the wealth of targets the Bears roster and the likelihood that teams would switch coverage towards the veteran.
However, the level of regression is surprising and far from what the expectations should be moving forward. It appears that part of why Raymond was sold on joining Ben Johnson in Chicago was the ability to play a meaningful role. While the Lions had turned the page and moved their offense in a different direction, the Bears clearly valued the speed and veteran presence of Raymond.
Kalif Raymond should be expected to return to consistent production despite two weeks of regression
The fall off really simply points to what a limited offense Chicago is able to run without Williams at the helm. This is the reason that with two weeks of tape the Green Bay Packers were able to solve the offense and take advantage of a team with a clear level of weakness as they awaited the return of Williams. With this in mind, the franchise cannot help but continue to anxiously await news of the quarterback being back in the lineup.
Chicago is scheduled to take on the Atlanta Falcons and Raymond is perfectly suited to take advantage of Atlanta's injured secondary. The unit is coming off an ugly performance against Tyler Huntley and the Baltimore Raves with speedy options having zero options finding open space in the game's biggest moments.
With this in mind, Raymond could be set for a big Week 6 if Williams is able to return and is anything close to fully healthy. It is simply a matter of time until this happens and the receiver is back to playing a meaningful role in the Chicago offense.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google