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Former general manager Scot McCloughan has lost his grievance against the Washington Redskins, according a report by the Washington Post.
McCloughan filed a grievance against the team with the NFL in the summer of 2017 on the basis he was fired unjustly. His dismissal came after the Redskins earned their first back-to-back winning seasons in nearly 20 years, including an NFC East division title.
However, the Redskins countered that they fired McCloughan in March 2017 for “just cause.” Shortly after the firing, multiple leaks through the team suggested McCloughan was fired in large due to his lapses with alcoholism.
One of those leaks was through the team-owned radio station then known as ESPN 980. Chris Cooley, former Redskins tight end and 980 employee, speculated McCloughan’s firing was stemming from him drinking again. Although Cooley has since denied he was directed by Dan Snyder or anyone else within the organization.
An anonymous team official told the Post that McCloughan had reported to work intoxicated.
McCloughan was seeking $2.8 million — the amount of money he would have received in the remaining 22 months that was voided from his contract at the time of his firing.
According to the Post, the ruling in favor of the Redskins was made by NFL-appointed arbitrator Peter Harvey. The decision cannot be appealed.
McCloughan previously resigned from two front offices positions in the NFL due to personal issues stemming from his alcoholism — the San Francisco 49ers as GM in 2010 and the Seattle Seahawks as a senior personnel executive in 2014.
He joined the Redskins in 2015. He joined the Cleveland Browns as a consultant to assist the team through the 2018 NFL Draft in which they drafted quarterback Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick. McCloughan now runs his own scouting service.
