The Chicago Bears are on the verge of free agency, meaning that the team will try to bring in a crop of talent that can help them take another step forward in 2026. Although fans have some excitement over who could be joining the team, they also have anticipation for some of the weak links that could be leaving, including cornerback Nick McCloud.
Signed to a one-year deal during last year’s free agent period, McCloud surprisingly made the Bears’ roster out of training camp. His performance left a lot to be desired, though, as he struggled in coverage amid Chicago’s secondary issues.
While the Bears will need to replace several players, McCloud shouldn’t stop general manager Ryan Poles from creating another hole that needs to be filled now that the veteran may be reaching his two-week notice in Chicago with free agency approaching.
Letting Nick McCloud Leave Is an Easy Bears Decision Before Free Agency
McCloud was originally supposed to be a depth signing, but was thrown into an expanded role after injuries to Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. As a result, McCloud’s 456 defensive snaps were his most since playing 583 snaps for the New York Giants during the 2022 season, and he was quickly overexposed.
According to Pro Football Focus, McCloud allowed 26 catches for 322 yards and five touchdowns with a pair of pass breakups on 32 targets. It’s never a good sign to see a player get more penalties (three) than pass breakups and interceptions during a season. At the same time, that should have been expected from a player who allowed a perfect 158.3 passer rating and three touchdowns while splitting time between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers in 2024.
Despite all of this, there’s a case to bring McCloud back.
The Bears' secondary could lose up to three starters with Nahshon Wright, Kevin Byard III, and Jaquan Brisker as free agents. A surprising divorce between the team and Tyrique Stevenson looks possible, as his snaps were cut dramatically toward the end of the season. By keeping McCloud, it may be one depth spot Chicago wouldn’t have to worry about, and for a reasonable price of $1.6 million, it may be worth his flaws.
Conversely, McCloud doesn’t bring a lot of positive value to the team. In addition to his defensive woes, he didn’t play on special teams last season, which further depletes his value.
With everything considered, the Bears would be best served adding another depth corner, including Rock Ya-Sin of the Detroit Lions ($1.3 million market value), Ahkello Witherspoon of the Los Angeles Rams ($1.4 million), or Benjamin St-Juste of the Los Angeles Chargers ($1.7 million) for roughly the same price as McCloud’s $1.6 million Spotrac projection.
In the end, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to bring McCloud back, which could leave Chicago moving on when the free agent period begins in two weeks.