After serving as a healthy scratch in the last two games for the Atlanta Falcons, the writing was on the wall surrounding Ray-Ray McCloud's future in Atlanta. He was previously believed to be a popular trade candidate with the Trade Deadline looming, but the Dirty Birds went another route after sending him home on Friday.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday afternoon that McCloud was being released by the franchise less than a year removed from the best receiving season of his career. It's a sad story for one of the team's biggest 2024 breakout candidates, but his rapport with Michael Penix Jr. never developed
The #Falcons released WR Ray-Ray McCloud III, who was sent home from the facility last week and didn't play this weekend.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2025
With the deadline looming, it was a surprise to see Terry Fontenot fail to at least attempt to shop the 29-year-old to receiver-needy teams. After all, the interest would have been minimal, and his release opens up more playing time for second-year receiver Casey Washington
Falcons shockingly cut Ray-Ray McCloud before the deadline
The Falcons' receiver room is incredibly vulnerable, but somehow, McCloud has managed to find himself buried on the depth chart. Washington and KhaDarrel Hodge have lapped him in the pecking order, and Jamal Agnew is just as effective as the return man.
Another factor that tied into the decision was the Clemson product's praise of WR's coach Ike Hilliard—who was fired after the Week 3 loss—due to his career year under his tutelage. However, he's seen his snap share steadily decrease since T.J. Yates took over for Hilliard in Week 4.
And even when he did play in Week 4, he wasn't making a positive impact. He dropped a screen pass on the opening drive, and remained in Raheem Morris' doghouse from there. From there, he was a surprise inactive in Week 6 and failed to practice before Week 7, before the team cut ties,
Squads like the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and even struggling teams like the Jets and Titans are in desperate need of help at receiver, so it's not like there won't be interest on the free agent market. And if he signs elsewhere, it'll mark his sixth NFL destination in eight seasons.
Through six games, the offense has been pretty feast or famine, and while some of that can be attributed to play-calling, McCloud has added nothing to a receiver room being held together by duct tape behind Drake London. Even Darnell Mooney's regressed from his near 1,000-yard self from 2024.
The team has been searching to add receivers at the deadline, and parting with McCloud just set Terry Fontenot up to make an even bigger swing to set up Penix and the Dirty Birds for playoff contention.
McCloud has been one of the biggest disappointments on the 2025 roster, and cutting ties finally puts an end to one of the biggest red flags on the roster, and Darnell Mooney's return to the lineup makes that pill much easier to swallow.