Giants veteran calls ex-teammate a ‘free man’ after he leaves

Former Giants cornerback Nick McCloud clearly left some friends behind in New York, and some of them might even be jealous, too.
The San Francisco 49ers quickly snagged the fourth-year pro on Nov. 11, six days after he was waived by the Giants. McCloud was activated for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, though he only played nine snaps (special teams).
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In the meantime, McCloud posted an update on Instagram in his new jersey on Saturday, along with nine other images that seemingly outlined his journey to this point. He captioned it with “slow and steady wins the race” and beneath it the song/artist, “Contagious // Young Thug (2021).”
His post received comments from several former Giants teammates, including veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton. He posted, “A free man!”
Was that a knock on the Giants? Was it a nod to McCloud getting a chance to play more? Something else? Slayton responded on X to the call out of his comment with a clarification.
“Young thug is “a free man” pictured in 4th slide. Only thing Nick has been Free’d of is being my locker mate and having to listen to me talk trash about ND every week,” Slayton wrote.
About 2 ½ years after he was arrested on the charges in a sprawling gang and racketeering indictment, the rapper Young Thug was released from custody Nov. 1. It was a remarkable development in a trial that’s dragged on and been plagued by problems.
McCloud’s post also generated comments from edge rushers Brian Burns (“Already 100″) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (“My dawg”) and safety Tyler Nubin (“Only a matter of time”) among others.
He spent two-plus seasons in New York, where he played 38 games (16 starts). He got into seven games in 2024 before being released.
After Sunday’s loss to Seattle, the 49ers are 5-5, while the Giants are 2-8 and turning to Tommy DeVito at quarterback after benching Daniel Jones.