NFL shock Ray-Ray McCloud III released by Falcons after being pulled from team for unexplained private reason

Ray-Ray McCloud III has been released by the Atlanta Falcons. This comes just days after the team sent him home because of a private matter. Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed last Friday that Ray-Ray McCloud was told to leave team activities.

He did not share the reason and called it a private issue. McCloud was then a healthy scratch for the Week 7 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Two days after that game, the Falcons released him from the roster.

Ray-Ray McCloud III was sent home for private team matter

Raheem Morris said that sending McCloud home was not a punishment. He said it was not a disciplinary move but more of a football-related issue. McCloud practiced on Wednesday but missed Thursday and Friday practice for non-injury reasons. Raheem Morris said the team is still working through it and that it is strictly between McCloud and the organization. Ray-Ray McCloud had been Atlanta’s No. 3 wide receiver since last season.

However, in the 2025 season, he had only six catches for 64 yards in four games. Last year, which was his first season with Atlanta, he caught 62 passes for 686 yards and one touchdown. He also returned 14 kickoffs and averaged 25.8 yards per return.

Ike Hilliard’s firing and Ray-Ray McCloud III’s NFL career

The Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard after their 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Hilliard was one of the main reasons McCloud signed with Atlanta in 2024. But Raheem Morris said Ray-Ray McCloud’s current situation has nothing to do with Hilliard being fired. He made it clear that both matters are unrelated. Before Atlanta, McCloud played for several teams in the NFL. Also Read: Jason Kelce Takes Brutal Dig At Jude McAtamney After Costly Missed Kicks Sink Giants Against BroncosHe played for the Buffalo Bills in 2018, the Carolina Panthers in 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2020 to 2021, and the San Francisco 49ers from 2022 to 2023. He was the NFL leader in punt return yards in 2021 while playing for the Steelers, finishing with 367 punt return yards. His role had already started to shrink this season, as he was a healthy scratch in Week 6 and Week 7. Now, his time with the Falcons is officially over, and the team has not yet announced who will replace him.