A $35 Million Detroit Lions receiver is facing backlash from his old fanbase. Kalif Raymond's praise for a coach is not sitting well with the Detroit faithful.

What looked like a career move has quickly turned into a heated reaction across the league, as he made his love for the Chicago Bears clear.

"I wanted to play in Ben’s offense. He’s extraordinarily creative, and honestly, you can be in any spot on the offense, and he will find a way to get you the ball," the receiver said as per NFL reporter Doc Kleiman's X post. "Just to be under him is a great privilege."

Wide receiver (WR) Kalif Raymond signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears earlier in March. The interesting part here is that the Detroit Lions were also offering a similar deal to him. But he chose the Bears.

Raymond started his career with the Denver Broncos in 2016 as an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross. After completing his short stints with various teams, he finally settled with the Lions in 2021, where he recorded his career-best numbers.

Playing for five seasons with the Lions, he appeared in 77 games and covered 2,185 yards in the field while scoring 8 touchdowns. 

One of the primary reasons for choosing the Bears over the Lions was Ben Johnson. Under Johnson (in 2022), Raymond set his career-high in receiving yards (616). 

According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, Raymond had multiple opportunities from the Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, and it was a no-brainer for Raymond to make a unanimous call.

The former Lions coach is now with the Chicago Bears, but the Detroit faithful are not happy with Raymond's comments.

Bears Star Draws Strong Fan Backlash Over Decision to Leave Dan Campbell for Ben Johnson

The reaction to the Bears star’s move wasn’t quiet, and it didn’t take long for fans to pick sides.

Some went straight into rivalry mode the moment the decision became public.

“Detroit vs everybody you the enemy now and we will hunt you down,” one fan wrote.

While some made it clear this wasn’t just a roster move, others downplayed the impact entirely.

“Kalif Raymond has been a roster bubble player for 2 years and is WR5. They didn’t re-sign him. He’s going to Chicago to get 3 total receptions and be the backup returner? Yeah, huge loss for Lions,” one fan posted.

There were also more balanced takes that focused on opportunity.

“He didn’t say the last part. He didn’t want to be WR 4 or 5 on our squad, and if they give him the chance to be WR 3 good for him,” another fan noted.

While it is true that playing time was perhaps the real driver behind the decision, others kept their takes rather simple.

“Nah, he just wanted playing time in Chicago lol,” one comment read.

Then came the bigger-picture argument.

“Which team had a top 5 offense and qb?” a fan asked.

The comment indirectly questions why anyone would leave a strong situation in Detroit.

For some, it’s betrayal. For others, it’s business. But either way, fans are clearly not seeing this move the same way.

Read more at the Detroit Lions Community!

Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote