Ex-Notre Dame football DB signs with Bears, joins growing list of Irish in Chicago
Nick McCloud is the latest Notre Dame football alum to join the Bears, adding to a suddenly strong Irish pipeline.
It’s officially that time of year when former Notre Dame football players are finding out their next steps at the next level. For former Irish cornerback Nick McCloud, that next step in the pros is a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears.
McCloud, a veteran special teams player and cornerback that has had stops with the Buffalo Bills, CIncinnati Bengals, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers, played at Notre Dame during the 2020 season that resulted in a College Football Playoff appearance.
Former Notre Dame football cornerback lands with Bears for 2025 season
#Bears contract update.
CB Nick McCloud 1 year, $1.32M w/ $50K guaranteed & a 1.18M cap hit.
Roster is at 68 & as of now, all numbers are in.
Current Cap space: $14.642M
After draft class: $9.058M
After PS/in-season: $58K
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) March 28, 2025
McCloud split 2024 with the New York Giants (seven games) and San Francisco 49ers (eight games). For the two teams, he recorded 25 tackles and one pass defended. Over the course of his career, the defensive back started 16 games and recorded a career high 43 tackles for the Giants in 2022.
The former Notre Dame football star joining the Bears means that there are now four former Irish players on Chciago as he joins long snapper Scott Daly, and tight ends Cole Kmet and Durham Smythe.
Smythe was also a new addition to the Bears this offseason and essentially means that Chicago’s tight end corps all hail from South Bend. All of the Golden Domer connections are a bit ironic if for no other reason that over the winter, head coach Marcus Freeman was rumored to be a target to run the team.
The former Notre Dame football star, who played one season with the Irish and recorded 22 tackles and 1 interception in the COVID shortened 2020 season; will almost certainly play a big role for the Chicago Bears’ special teams in 2025.
