Ray-Ray McCloud III, Giants Reportedly Agree to Contract After Falcons Release

Ray-Ray McCloud III and the New York Giants reportedly agreed to a contract one day after the wide receiver was released by the Atlanta Falcons, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

McCloud was a healthy scratch each of the Falcons’ past two games, a 24-14 home win against the Buffalo Bills and a 20-10 road loss at the San Francisco 49ers.

“Coaching decision on Ray-Ray tonight, just like everybody else, anybody that you put down that’s not active,” head coach Raheem Morris said after the Bills game, per Falcons reporter Terrin Waack. “Decided to put him down tonight. He’ll be back out competing next week. We’ll see where we go. We had everybody we needed. We got everybody we wanted tonight, and we got out there and got a big win.”

McCloud didn’t practice last week leading up to the 49ers game.

“I wouldn’t say it is a disciplinary thing,” Morris said last Friday, per Waack. “More a football thing with something we have to get straightened out.”

McCloud, 29, signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Falcons in 2024. He caught 62 passes for 686 yards and a touchdown last season but had just six receptions for 64 yards and no scores in four games this year. He’s played eight NFL seasons overall for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers and Falcons, catching 158 passes for 1,518 yards and two touchdowns.

McCloud was the Falcons’ No. 3 wide receiver last year behind Drake London and Darnell Mooney and entered the season at that same spot on the depth chart.

However, McCloud was soon sent home, with Morris saying it was an “excused absence.”

“I sent him home,” Morris also said Friday, per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “Excused absence—home. Working through some things right now that are private with my young man, and we’ll figure those things out as we go.”

Morris also noted that this wasn’t a disciplinary issue.

“It is just more a football thing and what we got to get straightened out,” Morris said.

Raimondi noted that McCloud and former Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard were very close. Hilliard was let go after Week 3, when the team lost 30-0 to the Carolina Panthers.

McCloud went public with his thoughts on Hilliard’s firing after the move was made official.

A representative for McCloud declined comment when ESPN reached out on Friday.

Without McCloud last Sunday, the Falcons’ No. 3 wide receiver in terms of snaps was David Sills V (45 percent), per Pro Football Reference. Casey Washington (17 percent) and KhaDeral Hodge (four percent) also saw time.

McCloud will join a Giants receiving corps that is in need of help given injuries to Malik Nabers (torn ACL) and Darius Slayton (hamstring).

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