What’s going on with Ray-Ray McCloud III?
On Friday, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that the wide receiver had simply been sent home, according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN.
“Raheem Morris says WR Ray Ray McCloud was sent home,” Raimondi posted on X. “He said it was a private matter between the team and McCloud. Morris said he doesn’t know if McCloud will return. #Falcons”
Morris said on Friday that McCloud is dealing with a private matter and he clearly didn’t want to talk about it.
“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.”
Ray-Ray McCloud is not having a very good year
Last year, McCloud was pretty good. He caught 62 passes for 686 yards and one touchdown. That’s not earth shattering, but it’s still a very productive NFL season.
For what it’s worth, he hasn’t been nearly as productive this year. He’s started one game and played in four, but he’s caught six passes for 64 yards and no touchdowns. He’s only been targeted 14 times and has hardly been a part of the offense.
In Monday night’s big win over the Buffalo Bills, McCloud was a healthy scratch. It really goes without saying that he’s not scheduled to suit up Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers since no one can say when or if he’ll even return to the team.
Ray-Ray McCloud dismissal not associated with Ike Hilliard firing
Back in September, the Falcons got thoroughly stomped by the Carolina Panthers 30-0. For whatever reason, Morris decided that the wide receivers coach had to go and fired Ike Hilliard. After a 30-point, shutout throttling to a relative bottom feeder, the entire team should have been relieved of their duties.
“I want a different direction,” Morris said at the time. “I wanted to handle those things the right way. I wanted to be able to go in that room and present to those guys the right way to get things that we want to get done.”
Maybe it worked? After all, the Falcons have been pretty good lately. Not sure why Hilliard was the big problem, but okay.
“It’s the NFL, and rent is due every day,” McCloud said. “We’ve got to be on one accord in this league. In the NFL, quarterbacks gotta be in tune with the receivers, the linemen gotta be in tune with the running back, the running back gotta be on point with blitzes, and so on and so on.”
Morris was asked if McCloud’s absence was related to Hilliard’s firing.
“This is between Ray-Ray, the organization and us and dealing with those things,” Morris said, adding that he is close with Hilliard just like McCloud is. “Nothing to do with that.”
Morris went on to say that sending McCloud home (and admitting he’s not sure when he’ll return) isn’t disciplinary. That’s kind of tough to believe and it will be interesting to see if we ever find out what’s really going on here.
“It is just more a football thing and what we got to get straightened out,” Morris said.
