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Falcons Release Former 49ers WR After Week 7 Blowout Loss — and Deommodore Lenoir’s Fiery Reaction.

Reports: 49ers' Deommodore Lenoir lands 5-year, $92M extension | Reuters

The San Francisco 49ers took down the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 but did not get a chance to go up against controversial former Niners wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud.

Now, the Falcons have released McCloud.

The reasoning for this has been a little murky. Atlanta’s head coach Raheem Morris said that it was a personal matter that caused McCloud to be a healthy scratch in each of the team’s last two games, but it seems there were deeper issues going on.

McCloud began the season as a starter but apparently had a fall from grace. He spoke out after the team fired its wide receiver coach following an embarrassing 30-0 loss against the Carolina Panthers earlier in the season and said the Falcons had no loyalty. 

Ahead of the Week 7 matchup against San Francisco, his former team, McCloud took to social media with the following message:

Some fans decoded this message as a swipe against 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, and sure enough the fiery cornerback took to social media with some fiery messages of his own.

It seems clear that Lenoir and McCloud had some beef dating back to their time together with the 49ers. McCloud’s release does not appear to have anything to do with his online spat with Lenoir, but the San Francisco cornerback must feel like he got the last laugh with McCloud getting released so quickly especially after Lenoir and the Niners defense as a whole held Atlanta’s receivers in check all game.

McCloud was with the 49ers for several years and primarily served as a kick returner and punt returner. Unfortunately, his most memorable play as a Niner will be the ball he misplayed in the Super Bowl when a punt ricocheted off his teammate's foot and he tried to scoop it up and return it. The Kansas City Chiefs recovered and scored a touchdown on the next play which gave them the lead and flipped the momentum of the game. 

McCloud went to Atlanta following that 2023 season and had a career year in 2024, hauling in 62 receptions for 686 yards and a touchdown.

This season he had just six catches for 64 yards prior to his release.

He did not spend long unemployed as the New York Giants scooped him up quickly. This could mean that he actually will face off against his former team as the Niners and Giants will square off in Week 9.

If both McCloud and Lenoir are healthy, expect some sparks to fly after their social media spat.

 

Packers' Star QB Refuses MVP Title to Fully Focus on Team in Tough Phase
Can you believe it? Jordan Love, the "red-hot" quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, is on track to compete for MVP with +1000 odds at DraftKings – but this guy is "refusing" personal glory to pour all his energy into the team struggling with a "hellish" schedule! Is this a heroic act or just a ploy? Read now to uncover the "truth" behind it! In the Super Bowl era, the Packers have produced three MVP legends: Bart Starr (1966), Brett Favre (1995-1997), and Aaron Rodgers (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021). Now, Jordan Love has a chance to become the fourth, putting the Packers on par with the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts – the only team with four QB MVPs like Johnny Unitas, Earl Morrall, Bert Jones, and Peyton Manning. With his current "explosive" form, Love ranks fourth in the NFL for passer rating (105.4), tied for fifth in touchdown passes (22), with only four interceptions – the fewest among QBs starting all 13 games, and a 67.1% completion rate ranking seventh. But instead of "dreaming" of MVP, Love seems to be "rejecting" it! In a recent interview, he emphasized: "These are the most important games of the season, obviously with a lot of things coming down to playoff seeding and the division race, so this is the important football. I think it’s everybody, we keep stacking and keep getting better and better throughout the season and learn from the mistakes we make and overcome some of the obstacles. Just keep stacking and trying to find ways to get better every day is something that’s been helping us." These words are like a clear "declaration": Love doesn't care about MVP, but only wants to focus on the team in its "tough phase" with a 9-3-1 record, trailing the Rams (10-3) in the NFC. Head coach Matt LaFleur also "sings along": "Yeah, he’s playing really good football right now. That’s obviously important and it’s going to be important moving forward." And offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich praises the consistency: "I would say just the consistency that he’s had has been great... Just being a consistent, efficient quarterback is one thing that I’ve been really pleased with." But it's Packers defensive end Micah Parsons who "reveals" why Love deserves but is "overlooking" MVP: "I definitely think he deserves recognition... If you go off strength of schedule, how he's played and with him missing half his receivers, I think that goes unnoticed, too. Some of the things he did without (Christian Watson) early in the year, then (Jayden Reed), so this guy was missing two of his starting receivers majority of the year and they're just now getting back in these last eight weeks of the stretch, so I definitely think he deserves a lot more credit and I'm just happy I'm able to be a part of this journey with him." Currently, Matthew Stafford of the Rams leads the MVP race with -180 odds, 35 touchdown passes (far ahead of Dak Prescott with 26), passer rating 113.1, and only four interceptions. Drake Maye of the Patriots follows with +200, passer rating 111.9, 3,412 passing yards, and 23 touchdowns. Love, with a four-game winning streak (nine touchdowns, one interception, passer rating 112.1), could stage a comeback if he maintains "red-hot form" – especially in the upcoming two "epic" games: away at Denver (11-2) and Chicago (9-4). If the Packers leap to the NFC's No. 1 seed (likely needing a 4-0 finish), while the Rams stumble against Detroit (8-5) and Seattle (10-3), or the Patriots slip against Buffalo (9-4) and Baltimore (6-7), Love would have a shot at MVP. But with his "humble" attitude, does Love really want to "accept" that title? Or is he sacrificing personally to save the Packers from the "tough phase"? The 2025 NFL drama is "hotter than ever"! Do you think Love is "playing a trick" to motivate the team? Comment now and follow for the "shocking" outcome of the MVP race!