The Washington Redskins have swiftly replaced the San Francisco 49ers as the most dysfunctional franchise in the NFL.
After back-to-back winning seasons under the direction of Scot McCloughan, the Redskins have fired their general manager. He still had two years remaining on his contract. McCloughan was the top talent elevator in San Francisco from 2005-2009.
The Washington Post broke the story, and said McCloughan had multiple relapses in his battle with alcoholism, even though players did not back up that claim.
“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.”
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.”
Of a half-dozen Redskins players reached Thursday afternoon, none said they’d ever seen McCloughan drink in the locker room. All but one said they never saw him act if he weren’t composed and in control. They added that they never felt he wasn’t able to do his job, and they seemed surprised the question was being raised.
Here’s the statement from the Redskins.
A statement from Redskins President Bruce Allen. pic.twitter.com/7GAEXOGIvQ
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) March 10, 2017
It’s unclear if the Redskins will hire a new GM internally or look outside. Former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams has been an executive with the team for awhile and ESPN’s Mark Dominik’s name has been floated around league circles.
This move is not being met well by the fan base, who grew to adore McCloughan. The 2015 and 2016 seasons were the first time in the Dan Snyder era the team finished above .500 in back-to-back seasons. Players respected McCloughan, who often watched games from the sideline instead of a luxury box. The Redskins were in ruins before McCloughan arrived.
How will this impact a potential trade for Kirk Cousins? Both Chris Mortensen and I reported Dan Snyder is not willing to trade his quarterback, even though he’s set to walk away in free agency come 2018. There’s a chance a new GM might be able to talk Snyder out of this — but then again, it’s one of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchises for a reason.
One obstacle in the Kirk Cousins trade: Dan Snyder. I'm told bad blood remains between he & Kyle. Dan doesn't want a Shanahan landing Kirk
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) March 8, 2017
It’s nice the drama has left Santa Clara. On the same day the 49ers announced the signings of seven free agents, the Redskins fired their GM — in March of all months.
