In unfortunate but expected news, the Washington Post reports that Washington GM Scot McCloughan has been fired.
McCloughan hadn’t been seen for weeks, leading to plenty of speculation as to his position and/or well-being.
And now, as the Post notes, his tenure is over. The “why”, though, is concerning:
An official with direct knowledge of the situation attributed the decision to McCloughan’s ongoing problems with alcohol, which also led to his firing from front office positions with the San Francisco 49ers in 2010 and Seattle Seahawks in 2014.
“He’s had multiple relapses due to alcohol,” said the official, who spoke on a condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on personnel matters. “He showed up in the locker room drunk on multiple occasions. . . . This has been a disaster for 18 months.”
Here was the team’s statement on the matter:
“The Washington Redskins have released Scot McCloughan from the organization effective immediately. We wish him success in his future endeavors. The team will have no further comment on his departure. The organization remains confident in our personnel department as we execute our free agency plans as well as prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft,” Redskins Team President Bruce Allen said in the statement.
The report includes plenty of other details, as well; apparently this has been going on for quite some time:
McCloughan, the official said, has received alcohol treatment since joining the franchise in January 2015, but he hasn’t actively worked for the team in weeks. Even before McCloughan left Redskins Park abruptly late last month, the official said, he had already been placed in “timeout” because of his behavior.
“He didn’t make the best of his third chance in the NFL,” the official said, alluding to the two previous jobs McCloughan has lost for alcohol abuse.
If those reports are accurate, they’re unfortunate. Addiction is never a fun story, and it’s certainly unfortunate that McCloughan’s illness has been laid bare so often in the public eye. Hopefully he can successfully manage the disease going forward.
Of course, it’s also possible this isn’t the complete picture:
Hard to imagine how an organization led by Dan Snyder could find itself in turmoil yet again. They’re not really a franchise to be trusted at face value.
Regardless for Washington, they’re now left starting the offseason without a general manager, perhaps the worst time of the year in which to deal with such a situation. Logic would seem to dictate an internal promotion for the sake of being able to operate day-to-day, though an interim GM title with an external job search to follow could make sense as well.
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