Detroit Lions place WR/PR Kalif Raymond on reserve/COVID-19

For the fourth consecutive day, the Detroit Lions have added another player to the reserve/COVID-19 list. On Thursday, wide receiver Kalif Raymond was the latest Lions player to go on the list.

Raymond has been a key figure in the Lions’ receiving corps all season. Early on, he was given a role as an outside receiver and has started 13 of 15 games this season. While his role on offense has slowly decreased as the season has gone on (and Amon-Ra St. Brown has improved), he remained a key player as the team’s primary punt returner.

With No. 1 receiver Josh Reynolds also currently on reserve/COVID-19, the Lions may have to turn to their reserves for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks. Look for players like Tom Kennedy, KhaDarel Hodge, and Trinity Benson to potentially get a shot this week. At punt returner, expect Kennedy, St. Brown, or running back Godwin Igwebuike to get a shot.

That being said, Reynolds has a shot to return to the roster under the league’s new COVID-19 policy. Under the new guidelines, players can return to the roster after five days of quarantine, as long as they aren’t running a fever and other symptoms have started to decrease. Since Reynolds was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, he has enough time to recover. Unfortunately for Raymond, the only way he is eligible to play on Sunday is if he is vaccinated and his virus load tests are low enough for him to be considered non-contagious.

Here’s an updated list of seven current Lions players on the injury report:

• WR Josh Reynolds
• WR Kalif Raymond
• WR Geronimo Allison (practice squad)
• TE Brock Wright
• RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai
• DT Michael Brockers
• QB Steven Montez (practice squad)

Wide receiver Quintez Cephus was removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week, but he remains on injured reserve.