A former Clemson star has found a new home in the NFL.
Veteran wide receiver and return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud has signed with the Chicago Bears, the team announced Monday.
McCloud, 29, most recently spent time with the New York Giants last season prior to being released on Dec. 10. The Giants signed him to their practice squad on Oct. 23 after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 21.
McCloud appeared in two games for New York and caught one pass for 5 yards. In the Falcons’ first four games last season, McCloud had six catches for 64 yards, and also returned two punts (for 0 yards) and four kicks (for 91 yards) on special teams. He was a healthy scratch for Atlanta’s Week 6 game and was then sent home for an “excused absence” ahead of the Falcons’ Week 7 matchup against the 49ers. Then-Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that McCloud’s release from the team was “performance-based” and was not disciplinary-related.
McCloud signed with the Falcons before the 2024 season after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the 49ers. Prior to that, the 5-foot-9, 190-pounder had stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2020-21), Buffalo Bills (2019-20) and Carolina Panthers (2019). He began his NFL career with the Bills in 2018 after being selected by the franchise in the sixth round (187th overall pick) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
McCloud has accumulated 159 receptions for 1,523 yards and two touchdowns in 100 games over the first eight years of his NFL career (2018-25), to go with 271 yards and another touchdown on 25 career carries, as well as 1,326 yards on 140 career punt returns and 2,890 yards on 126 career kickoff returns.
McCloud played at Clemson from 2015-17, recording 127 career receptions for 1,226 yards and four touchdowns over 40 games (20 starts). He also returned 50 punts for 485 yards with one touchdown and four kickoffs for 148 yards.