Terry McDonough, a former Cardinals employee, recently resolved his arbitration dispute against the organization and owner Michael Bidwill. After being granted $3MM as a consequence of the Cardinals’ statement against him last year stemming from his other charges, the case could now move forward in court.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, McDonough has filed a lawsuit against the Cardinals, Bidwill, third-party public relations firm Counterpoint Strategies, and others. The claim comes after an NFL arbitrator ruled that the team’s statement against McDonough was “false and defamatory,” awarding punitive damages as well as emotional pain and reputational damage.
“We are aware of the complaint but have no additional comment as it is an active legal matter,” the Cardinals said in a statement (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Due to the Cardinals’ departure of McDonough in January 2023, the arbitration lawsuit against Bidwill and the team did not result in any damages. McDonough argued that the decision, which ended his 10-year tenure as a high-ranking executive, was retribution for his stance against the use of burner phones with then-suspended general manager Steve Keim and head coach Steve Wilks (among other allegations). The latter’s legal status looks to be connected to the recent McDonough development.
According to Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily, McDonough intends to pursue legal action until Wilks is successful in his involvement in the ongoing Brian Flores-led racial discrimination complaint. Wilks became a complainant in the action, arguing for wrongful termination due to his removal after only one season as Cardinals head coach in 2018. Parts of the lawsuit will be heard in open court, but Wilks’ claims will be evaluated in arbitration.
According to Jurecki (who has reported that several former Cardinals employees received awards in addition to McDonough), Will McDonough was NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s mentor. That might provide Will’s son, Terry McDonough, direct access to Goodell, increasing his prospects of earning further money from the Cardinals. In any case, this, like Wilks’, will be an off-field topic for Arizona for the foreseeable future.
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