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Falcons release McCloud after 'excused absence'

  • Marc RaimondiOct 21, 2025, 04:35 PM ET

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      Marc Raimondi’s first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn’t his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling’s New World Order Changed America,” which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.

The Atlanta Falcons sent home Ray-Ray McCloud III last week and now the wide receiver has been released outright, the team announced Tuesday.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris described the situation Friday as a private matter between McCloud and the team. Morris said it was not necessarily disciplinary in nature.

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