The Detroit Lions have come a long way in the last four years, rising from a team that was an afterthought to one of the top NFL contenders. Not every player can say they've been there nearly every step of the way.
As a franchise mainstay since 2021, Kalif Raymond can. The wide receiver has gone from an unknown to one of the franchise's top leaders and contributors. He's been able to sit back and marvel at the changes and developments since.
In 2025, Raymond sees a team that has made strides on and off the field in terms of maturity. Now, the players who were new to the team have become older, wiser veteran leaders capable of bringing other youngsters into the fold flawlessly and teaching them the culture.
"I feel like the team feels mature. It's crazy because you think about it, when I was here in 2021 when Dan (Campbell) first came and Jared Goff, all those guys, I mean, we're talking about year four, year five, married, babies. It's a mature team. It's cool to watch these guys grow, but more importantly, it's cool to watch these guys become pros because now they're vets. Watching them take the reigns of the younger guys coming in who were once young guys when they came in, the maturity of the team has been phenomenal to see."
That maturity and connectivity could be as big a reason as any for Detroit's success. They have an established group of players that have gone through the early lows and recent highs together. Now, they fight for one another like family as they continue to grow in every way.
While the Lions have enjoyed unprecedented success by their own standards, Raymond and company understand that the job is far from finished.
Kalif Raymond thinks mature Detroit Lions working toward next step
Maturing is not an easy process, but the Lions have been able to remain impressive as they have worked out kinks on the field. While they haven't yet reached their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl win, Raymond knows everyone remains locked in on that path and their close calls haven't been good enough.
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"That's the reason we're out here. What do they say? Almost is only good for horseshoes and hand grenades, something like that. An old school saying, but man, you don't work for almost. You work for the whole thing. I think at the end of the day, the groundwork that we lay right now is going to determine the small minute details that come with the almost that happened the last few years. So, this is right here where we build it."
In training camp this year, the Lions are once again focused on getting over the hump. If they're able to do that, it will be due not only to the ground work they lay before the season but some of the long-standing maturity they have built up through the years.