[1] McCloughan accepted, and was a regional scout for the Packers from 1994 to 1999, where he took credit for the team drafting offensive guard Adam Timmerman, who later become a two-time Pro Bowler.

[1] He then went on to becoming the college scouting director for the Seattle Seahawks from 2000 to 2004, before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 as the vice president of player personnel.

[9] In March 2010, McCloughan and the 49ers agreed to a mutual termination of his contract, which was later revealed to be due to personal issues with alcoholism and an ongoing divorce.

[1][10] Shortly after leaving the 49ers, McCloughan was hired by Seattle Seahawks general manager and close friend, John Schneider, to be a senior personnel executive on the team.

[1][12] After he left the Seahawks, McCloughan started up his own college scouting agency in Ferndale, Washington, where he evaluated incoming draftees for a handful of NFL teams.