The Chicago Bears entered the 2025 preseason with hopes of making the jump as a franchise from a team picking in the top 10 of the draft to a playoff contender. In addition to hiring first-year head coach Ben Johnson away from the Detroit Lions to run the ship from the sidelines, Bears GM Ryan Poles made several roster moves to help bolster the talent up and down the roster.
One of the players expected to contribute in the secondary, fifth-round draft pick Zah Frazier, has been ruled out for the entire 2025 campaign due to "personal reasons." This ultimately opened up a spot for journeyman cornerback Nick McCloud, and the former Notre Dame standout took full advantage of it, landing on the 53-man roster out of camp.
While it was certainly an accomplishment for McCloud to make the team after, essentially, receiving no signing bonus as part of the deal he agreed to during the offseason, that nominal $50,000 guarantee won't keep him from being released at any point moving forward.
Bears Veteran CB Nick McCloud Still Battling for Job After Roster Cuts
Chicago will be McCloud's fourth different team since entering the NFL as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. With stops also coming with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, McCloud has already gone from one coast to another to continue his professional career. Now, he has to scratch and claw to ensure his stay in the Windy City is not a short one.
Just looking at his production alone, it is hard to think that McCloud was earmarked for a spot on this final roster. After racking up just 96 total tackles and one interception over his first four years as a pro, there is no scenario where the cornerback was expected to be on the depth chart at this stage of the season. That is how the cookie crumbles, though, and the issues Frazier is dealing with were enough to provide McCloud with an opening to get his foot in the door with the Bears.
One saving grace for McCloud might be that he has plenty of experience playing special teams in addition to his role in the secondary. While he has never been a returner at the NFL level, McCloud has played over 1,000 snaps in special teams coverage. For a veteran who was likely one of the final players to make the roster, being versatile is one way to help yourself fill a role on a roster as talented as the one Chicago has put together.
The 27-year-old's future with the Bears could very well hinge on his ability to make an impact in more than one area. Given what he has accomplished in the NFL thus far, it would be hard to envision McCloud sticking around for long if he does not find a way to contribute on special teams.