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The Atlanta Falcons are heading into their Week 7 Sunday night San Francisco 49ers showdown with good vibes after beating the Buffalo Bills last Monday night. However, there may be some drama under the surface after news broke that wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud is being sent back to Atlanta under mysterious circumstances.
“Raheem Morris says WR Ray Ray McCloud was sent home. He said it was a private matter between the team and McCloud. Morris said he doesn’t know if McCloud will return,” ESPN Falcons beat reporter Marc Ramondi tweeted Friday.
McCloud, an eight-year NFL veteran out of Clemson, has six catches for 64 yards in four games this season. He was a late scratch from the Bills game after practicing all week with no injury designation. Morris simply said it was a “coaching decision.”
While no one is sure what this issue is about, Sports Illustrated’s Garret Chapman speculates that it could be related to the team firing wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard—who McCloud was close to— following the team’s embarrassing 30-0 Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“It reminds you that this league has no loyalty. I mean, it’s football, it’s a day-to-day job, and you’ve got to come pay your dues every day,” McCloud said after the firing. “He’s the best coach I ever had, but it’s been real. Just because that happened [the termination] doesn’t make it real, it’s been real, and that’s a part of the game.”
Ray-Ray McCloud has only played 51% of the team’s offensive snaps in his four games this season, which is down significantly from the 86% of snaps he played last season, his first with the Falcons. In 2024, McCloud put up career highs with 62 catches for 686 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons have seemingly turned things around since that tough loss to the NFC South rival Panthers. A 34-27 win over the Washington Commanders followed, and then after their bye week, they took care of the Bills on national TV in impressive fashion, winning 24-14.
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