Written by John Keim at ESPN.com
The Washington Redskins fired general manager Scot McCloughan on Thursday, a little more than two years after hiring him to revitalize their franchise.
The move followed an offseason of speculation about his future within the organization and the reasons why his issues with the team existed, with past demons perhaps haunting him again.
McCloughan was prevented from talking to the media at the Senior Bowl and did not attend the scouting combine, with the stated reason being his grandmother’s death earlier in February. Team officials said they wanted McCloughan’s focus on evaluating talent, but they had allowed him to talk to the media in previous offseasons, so it raised questions.
His departure marks a stunning development because of how quickly he and the team reached this point. The Redskins hired him in January 2015 after winning just seven games combined in two seasons. The Redskins have finished a combined 17-14-1 the past two years, with one NFC East title.
“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,” team president Bruce Allen said in a statement.
During McCloughan’s tenure, the Redskins were unable to work out a long-term deal with quarterback Kirk Cousins. He played under the franchise tag in 2016, and the Redskins placed the exclusive tag on him earlier this offseason. Based on multiple conversations, McCloughan considered Cousins a good quarterback, but not a great one. He was not alone in the organization with that assessment.
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