Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud was abruptly released by the Atlanta Falcons after sitting out the previous two games, and the wide receiver is now heading to the New York Giants.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris sent McCloud home from the team and said they would figure it out from there, but never mentioned if he would return. On Monday, they made it official and cut him, with the Giants there to scoop him up after he was released.
“I sent him home,” Morris said. “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.”
The Falcons wide receiver room has gone through ups and downs. They fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliward in Week 3, a coach that McCloud is close with from his time with the Steelers. Hilliard coached McCloud for two seasons.
Morris said that McCloud’s issues have nothing to do with the fact that Hilliard was fired.
“This is between Ray-Ray, the organization and us and dealing with those things,” Morris said. “Nothing to do with that. It is just more a football thing and what we got to get straightened out.”
The former Steelers wide receiver is a valuable slot receiver who can also be a key cog on returns. As a result, he found a team quickly following his dismissal.
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