Report: Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond headed for IR

On Tuesday, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said a second opinion was coming on the foot injury that sidelined wide receiver Kalif Raymond last Sunday. It seemed certain the teams' primary punt returner was facing a multi-week absence, it was just a matter of how much time he'd miss.

On Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Raymond is headed for IR. Rapoport added that Raymond is expected to return this season, and could be back before the regular season ends. He will miss at least the next four games, eligible to return as soon as Week 17 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Campbell indicated that Raymond's injury "could be" season-ending, pending the aforementioned second opinion, so the news is good with that in mind

Raymond hadn’t been as involved in the Lions' offense passing game as he had been in previous years (16 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns). But he has remained a key part of Detroit’s special teams, leading the league in punt return yards (390) and sitting second in yards per punt return (14.4).

Who will replace Kalif Raymond as the Lions punt returner?

After Raymond left last Sunday's game, Amon-Ra St. Brown stepped in to return punts for the Lions. It's safe to assume that won't be happening again, outside of perhaps a important spot. Campbell joked about just having St. Brown fill in for Raymond again, surely knowing the angst it would cause.

"I’m still trying to think about that, because part of me says, ‘Use Saint again, because he is the most reliable,’” Campbell said. “So we may just do that. You know what? We’re going to do that.”

The visual is required to pick up Campbell's expression as he ended his comments.

In terms of actual options to return punts in Raymond's place, running back Sione Vaki and cornerback Khalil Dorsey are seemingly the most obvious. Jameson Williams could be an option, but using him presents the same issue using St. Brown on punt returns does (extra injury risk for a core offensive player).

Donovan Peoples-Jones is on the practice squad, and he served as the Lions' punt returner during last year's playoffs when Raymond was out with a knee injury. Maurice Alexander and Tom Kennedy are other options on the practice squad.

Let's do our ranking of the options to be the Lions' punt returner in Raymond's place. The list will not include St. Brown. There are votes out there for Peoples-Jones (Hamza Baccouche of Pride of Detroit) and Vaki (Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports).

1. Vaki
2. Peoples-Jones
3. Dorsey
4. Alexander
5. Kennedy