The 2023 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the Arizona Cardinals will play a big role standing at the third spot. However, this time they are in the middle of a controversy after team owner Michael Bidwill was accused of very severe wrongdoings by a former executive.
Arizona are going through a rebuild right now. They have a new general manager in Monti Ossenfort, and they just hired ex Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as head coach. Kyler Murray is returning from a torn ACL, but at least they have that position set.
Although the franchise was an unfortunate main actor following the accusations filed by Terry McDonough, the former vice president of the Cardinals. This is just the first step in the situation, but the things mentioned by McDonough could demand a big sanction to Bidwell if proved accurate.
Cardinals’ owner Bidwill accused of cheating by former VP
Bidwill received very serious accusations in an arbitration claim filed to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. This report states that Arizona’s owner forced former VP McDonough and then head coach Steve Wilks to communicate with ex general manager Steve Keim using burner phones while Keim was suspended by the league.
“In response to McDonough’s objection to the illicit burner phone scheme, Bidwill cursed at, berated, and formally reprimanded McDonough, and ultimately demoted him — irrevocably damaging the trajectory of McDonough’s 34-year career in the National Football League. Bidwill also subjected McDonough to bullying, mocking, harassing and abusive behavior”, the filing reportedly explains.
Schefter also added the accusation presented by McDonough includes claims of cheating, discrimination and harassment by Bidwill across the whole organization. This confrontation will need to be solved by Goodell, although the team has already responded publicly with an extensive statement from team’s external public relations adviser Jim McCarthy.
“We are reluctantly obliged to provide a public response along with broader context for some disappointing and irresponsible actions by Terry McDonough. Claims he has made in an arbitration filing are wildly false, reckless, and an opportunistic ploy for financial gain”.
