by Former Arizona Cardinals executive Terry McDonough has filed an arbitration claim with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
According to ESPN, McDonough accuses Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill of serious misconduct, including cheating, discrimination and harassment. One of the claims mentions prohibited communication with then-Cardinals general manager Steve Keim while he was serving a suspension after pleading guilty to a DUI in Arizona.
McDonough also hinted that he and former Cardinals coach Steve Wilks were coerced into Bidwill’s scheme to communicate with Keim via burner phones.
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Owner Michael Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals speaks during a news conference introducing new head coach Jonathan Gannon at Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center on February 16, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
McDonough added that he still has the phone in his possession. In a response sent to ESPN, the Cardinals’ organization strongly denied the allegations.
“We are grudgingly obligated to provide a public response along with broader context for some of Terry McDonough’s disappointing and irresponsible actions,” Cardinals outside public relations adviser Jim McCarthy said in a statement. “The assertions he has made in an arbitration submission are grossly false, reckless and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain.
“Our position was consistent with many efforts we made to accommodate Terry during his time with the team despite the difficulties in his personal life and his often volatile behavior towards his colleagues. That is why we are saddened to see that Terry is now lashing out at our organization with slurs and threats that are absurdly at odds with the facts. This unnecessary and vengeful action by Terry was intended to smear his co-workers, our owner Michael Bidwill and our team with outlandish allegations.”
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McDonough was the Cardinals’ vice president of player personnel from 2014 to 2019.
In the filing, McDonough stated that he and Wilks “objected to and sought to avoid involvement in a scheme hatched by Bidwill to use disposable phones to communicate with general manager Steve Keim, in violation of the terms of Keim’s extreme DUI suspension.” , during a critical period of the Cardinals’ training camp in the summer of 2018.
“In response to McDonough’s objection to the illicit disposable phone scheme, Bidwill cursed, berated, and formally reprimanded McDonough, ultimately demoting him.”
Owner Michael Bidwill of the Arizona Cardinals walks on the sideline before a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Norma Hall/Getty Images)
The Cardinals told ESPN that Bidwill took “swift action” and ordered the phones retrieved and “communications stopped.”
McDonough also claimed that he was denied the opportunity to further advance his NFL career after he refused to comply with Bidwill’s alleged orders.
The Cardinals have denied blocking McDonough’s professional career. He is seeking damages for breach of contract and emotional distress.
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In accordance with the league’s dispute resolution procedure policies, the Cardinals will have 20 days to formally respond to McDonough’s claims.
On Tuesday, the NFL issued a statement saying, “We can confirm receipt of the claim, which will be handled under the league’s arbitration procedures.”
McDonough said he thinks he’s speaking for a group of Cardinals employees who might be afraid to say anything against Bidwill. He said the way he was treated was “consistent with a pattern of workplace misconduct by Bidwill that is endemic and a hallmark of his stewardship of the storied Cardinals franchise.”
The complaint also stated that Bidwill brought two pregnant women to tears by yelling at them with “abusive and intimidating mistreatment.”
McDonough said he can prove that, in 2019, members of the Cardinals’ executive leadership conducted an employee survey, only to have the results later intercepted by Bidwill.
“Many of the employees who responded to the survey indicated that they were afraid of Bidwill on a daily basis, as a result of Bidwill’s erratic and often abusive interactions with them,” the presentation said.
The Cardinals responded by saying that “the 2019 employee survey referenced in the complaint was not ignored, but in fact formed the basis for significant improvements in our workplace practices. That included creating a new role for a Director of Human Resources together with the momentum of our Human Resources staff”. and adding robust employee wellness initiatives.”
Michael Bidwill, owner of the Arizona Cardinals, speaks during the Super Bowl LVII Host Committee trade press conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on February 13, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Wilks was fired after he went 3-13 in 2018. Wilks recently joined a racial discrimination class action lawsuit brought by former Miami Dolphins head coach and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. .
“The passage of time and the exposition of the facts have revealed that these comments are almost perverse in their inaccuracy, error and misleading nature. Steve Wilks has shown that he is a skilled NFL head coach when he is not forced to cheat and is given a chance to succeed. And contrary to Keim’s statement, neither he nor Bidwill have been held to account for their wrongful actions during the 2018 preseason,” the complaint about Wilks read.
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The Cardinals also responded by highlighting several incidents that they said directly violated our guidelines and mutual trust in our workplace.” The team also claimed that McDonough had trouble getting along with his colleagues.
