Why is Terry McDonough suing Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill? Reason of defamation lawsuit explored

The saga between Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and former Vice President of Player Development Terry McDonough is far from over. This time, the former Cardinals employee has accused Bidwill and the team of invasion of privacy and defamation.

According to ESPN's Tisha Thompson, McDonough’s new complaints stemmed from the false accusations bestowed by the Cardinals against him. The complaint reads that the team shared private details about McDonough’s life. He also accused them of spreading false and damaging statements.

The Cardinals released a statement through Jim McCarthy of CounterPoint Strategies. It contained claims that McDonough had domestic violence incidents and abandoned financial help to one of her children.

However, McDonough’s wife sternly denied the accusations against her husband, saying it’s “the most bizarre thing she has heard.” Meanwhile, the former Cardinals employee also lives near his adult daughter in North Carolina, who has special needs.

That setup allowed him to care for his daughter even while working with the Cardinals.

McDonough’s side also denied that he showed violent behavior toward colleagues and physically threatened Bidwill in front of co-workers. His camp will submit the new allegations to Jeffrey Mishkin, the arbitrator chosen by the league to settle this dispute.

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What was Terry McDonough’s original case against the Arizona Cardinals leadership?

Terry McDonough claimed that Bidwill instructed him and former head coach Steve Wilks to use burner phones in contacting General Manager Steve Keim. Back then, Keim served a five-week suspension after pleading guilty to driving under the influence.

McDonough added that he still has the phone, which contains the evidence for his claim. The Arizona Cardinals, however, have denied his allegations.

Meanwhile, McDonough also claimed that the Cardinals foster an unfair working environment towards minority members. He cited Bidwill’s unfair treatment of pregnant employees to stress on that point. McDonough also referred to a 2019 employee engagement survey that Bidwill canceled after seeing the results.

Aside from this legal matter, the Arizona Cardinals also have other major issues to address. They are coming off a 4-13 season that led to Kliff Kingsbury’s firing. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt also retired at the season’s end.

Jonathan Gannon will be at the helm after having some success as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive coordinator. While the trade rumors for DeAndre Hopkins have died down, Budda Baker’s trade request is still active.

The Arizona Cardinals will have the 11th strongest schedule in 2023, per NFL Research. They will be in an uphill battle in their division against the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams.