With the New York Giants signing return specialist Xavier Gipson to the practice squad, there was always going to be an odd man out.
Unfortunately, veteran wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud was deemed expendable and released, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
With Gipson’s return ability, New York likely thought his skill set was a bit redundant to keep both him and McCloud.
The Giants are also getting healthier at the position, and could use depth at other needy spots across the roster.
The 29-year-old will have the opportunity to stick on elsewhere, maybe for a team with playoff aspirations.
McCloud appeared in only two games for New York and caught one ball on one target for five yards.
Why Did the Giants Sign Ray-Ray McCloud?
After being released by the Atlanta Falcons, the New York Giants signed McCloud on October 23, reuniting with head coach (at the time) Brian Daboll.
The Buffalo Bills drafted McCloud in 2018, when Daboll was the offensive coordinator.
“I haven’t talked to Ray-Ray in a long time and then the situation came up where they moved on from him. I’ve known him. It seems like yesterday, but it was many years ago,” Daboll said via the team website.
“He’s a good, young man. I thought he had a productive year last year. I went back and watched some of it. He’s got some catching up to do with what we’ve done, but there’s a lot of terminology that [he’s familiar with].”
“He’s a pretty smart kid, a Tampa kid. I had him for a couple years there in Buffalo. See how it goes. Just get him in here, let him work out and see what he can do.”
The signing came at a time when the Giants were desperately needing bodies at the wide receiver position.
Up-and-coming star Malik Nabers had torn his ACL just a few weeks earlier, and Darius Slayton was dealing with a hamstring injury.
McCloud didn’t end up getting much use on offense, mostly working with the special teams unit.
His lone five-yard catch came during the Giants’ Week 9 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on November 2.
Ray-Ray McCloud’s Path to the NFL
After a three-year career at Clemson, the Tampa, Florida native declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.
He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round with the 187th overall pick.
In his first two seasons in the league, McCloud spent time with both the Bills and Carolina Panthers practice squads before finally finding a home as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ primary punt and kick returner in 2020.
After two years in Pittsburgh, McCloud signed a two-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Niners.
In Super Bowl LVIII, McCloud caught one pass for 19 yards in the eventual 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
His best statistical stint came with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, where he hauled in 62 catches for 686 yards and one touchdown, but the relationship soured in 2025.
After being a healthy scratch for Atlanta’s Week 6 victory over the Bills, McCloud was sent home by head coach Raheem Morris, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
It led to his eventual release and, of course, addition to the New York Giants.
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