Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers place WR Ray-Ray McCloud on COVID-19 list

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 11/23/21

Pittsburgh Steelers fans got great news on Tuesday afternoon when head coach Mike Tomlin said that some key defensive players will likely return to action in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Later in the day, though, the team announced it placed one of its offensive standouts from the Week 10 tie against the Detroit Lions on the COVID-19/reserve list.

The transaction was one of two moves that were made on Tuesday afternoon.

The Steelers have made a series of roster moves, including signing TE Jace Sternberger to their practice squad and placing WR Ray-Ray McCloud on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 23, 2021

McCloud's availability for Sunday's game will likely depend largely on his vaccination status, but even if he is vaccinated, he will have to clear the NFL's protocols ahead of time. The fourth-year pro is in his second season with the Steelers and has mostly been used as a kick and punt returner.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster out for the year and another wide receiver in Chase Claypool unable to play against Detroit due to a toe injury, McCloud made his presence known as a receiver that game, earning his second start of the season. In the tie, McCloud posted career-highs in targets (12), receptions (nine) and receiving yards (63), while still returning a pair of kickoffs for 35 yards and six punts for 54 yards.

Sternberger meanwhile is in his third NFL season but hasn't yet made it into a regular-season contest this year. In 18 career games — all with the Green Bay Packers — Sternberger has posted 12 receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown.

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