A former Buffalo Bills wide receiver who came into the NFL in Josh Allen’s rookie class is on to his seventh destination across the league.
The Chicago Bears announced that they signed veteran receiver and kick returner Ray-Ray McCloud, who joined the team after the end of training camp and will now compete for a roster spot. He has bounced around the league since leaving the Bills after his second NFL season, amassing a resume as a steady two-way threat.
Ray-Ray McCloud Lands With NFC North Contender
The Bears announced on Monday that they signed McCloud, filling a roster spot that opened when the team waived receiver Kyron Hudson with an injury designation.
As Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today’s Bears Wire noted, McCloud has built a strong reputation as a special teams standout.
“McCloud, a former sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2018, has spent time with the Bills (2018-20), Carolina Panthers (2019), Pittsburgh Steelers (2020-21), San Francisco 49ers (2022-23), Atlanta Falcons (2024-25) and most recently the New York Giants (2025),” Barbieri wrote.
“He’s primarily served as a punt and return specialist, including leading the NFL in punt return yards with the Steelers in 2021. McCloud totaled a career-best 38 punts for 367 yards, averaging 9.7 yards per return. He also added 35 kickoff returns for 776 yards, also a career high.”
McCloud has three seasons as a top-10 kick and punt returner in the NFL.
The Bears have an opening in their wide receiver room thanks to the Bills, who traded for deep threat DJ Moore to give another weapon to Allen this season.
Ray-Ray McCloud Had Slow Career Start in Buffalo
McCloud came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Bills in 2018, five rounds after the team traded up to land Allen as their future franchise quarterback. McCloud appeared in 10 games with one start as a rookie, making five receptions for 36 yards.
The Bills waived McCloud at final roster cutdowns in 2019, but he returned to Buffalo’s practice squad later that season. He was waived for good the following summer, spending time with several other teams over the next six seasons.
The Bills made several upgrades to their wide receiver room around the time they cut ties with McCloud, adding Stefon Diggs that season and drafting Gabe Davis. The team has gone through several iterations of the receiving corps since then, including an “everybody eats” approach after trading away Diggs that spread out targets to a wider group of pass-catchers.
Ex-Bills WR Who Started Career With Josh Allen Joins His Seventh NFL Team