Cade McDonald
Receiving Stats (WR / TE)
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No WR/TE stats found for this player.
Career Summary
Cade McDonald played receiver at Michigan State and Miami before joining Cleveland.
McDonald transferred from Michigan State to Miami in 2023. He signed with the Browns as an undrafted rookie in May 2025 after a rookie-camp tryout.
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Early Life
McDonald is from Naperville, Illinois.
Miami identifies Naperville, Illinois, as McDonald's hometown. He attended Naperville Central High School.
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High School
McDonald set receiving records at Naperville Central.
McDonald established school single-season records with 91 receptions, 1,397 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. He earned all-conference and first-team Naperville Sun All-Area recognition and also ran track.
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College Career
McDonald became a productive receiver and returner at Miami.
In 2023, McDonald caught 28 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns. He followed with 52 catches for 631 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, playing 12 games with 11 starts.
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Path to the NFL
A Browns rookie-camp tryout led to McDonald's first NFL contract.
Cleveland announced McDonald's signing on May 12, 2025, alongside fellow undrafted receivers Luke Floriea and Kisean Johnson. All three had participated in rookie camp as tryout players.
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NFL Career
McDonald's 2025 Browns stint included an injury-designated waiver and time on injured reserve.
The Browns signed McDonald in May and waived him with an injury designation on August 26, 2025. Cleveland's transaction log subsequently records his waiver from injured reserve on October 21.
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Career Accomplishments
McDonald earned All-MAC recognition as a returner and a Miami team award.
McDonald was second-team All-MAC as a returner in 2023, when his 12.7-yard punt-return average led the conference. Miami named him its Offensive Skill Player of the Year in 2024.
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Playing Style
Miami's coaches emphasized McDonald's instincts, strength and ability after the catch.
In a September 2024 Miami feature, head coach Chuck Martin described McDonald as a strong receiver with natural punt-return instincts and an ability to escape tackles. The article illustrated those traits with his 105-yard receiving game against Northwestern, including 59 yards after the catch.
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Sources for this section
31521, 00-0040615, 2001-05-07, Cade McDonald, Cade, McDonald
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