Scot McCloughan Says Redskins Are 'Great Organization,' Calls Split 'Mutual'

Former Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan took the high road when discussing his departure from the team in March.

McCloughan opened up about his firing with 106.7 The Fan's Grant Paulsen and Danny Rouhier (h/t the Washington Post's Dan Steinberg).

"You know, it's too bad what happened here, but it was mutual," he said. "And there's a lot of good people in this organization, from the ownership down throughout he whole building. Players, coaches and [team owner Dan Snyder] was nothing but great to us. It just didn't work out. And as you guys are well aware, it's a big business and it just didn't work out. I hate leaving there because I've got so many close friends, not just guys that I drafted but there's a lot of good people."

McCloughan went on to call Washington fans "incredible" and said the Redskins are a "great, great classic organization."

Washington was roundly criticized for its handling of McCloughan's exit.

Questions were raised when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported McCloughan wouldn't be attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. CBS DC's 106.7 The Fan then reported he had been sent home from the team's offices Feb. 20, which McCloughan refuted.

Following McCloughan's ouster, the Washington Post's Liz Clarke, John Woodrow Cox, Mike Jones and Master Tesfatsion spoke to a source who said McCloughan "had multiple relapses due to alcohol" and "showed up in the locker room drunk on multiple occasions."

In an interview with Seth Wickersham for ESPN The Magazine in 2014, McCloughan opened up about his past alcohol issues and how they played a part in his leaving front-office roles with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported in April that McCloughan remains an NFL talent evaluator after restarting a scouting service he operated before Washington hired him in January 2015.